Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
by Invieri
Summary: As a young man travels to the ancient homeworld of the Jedi Order to undertake his final trials, dark forces stir within the galaxy. Will this young man, who has a strength in the Force unseen for generations be able to guide the Jedi and the Republic to a new peace unseen since the return of the Sith Empire? Only time will tell if he will be a saviour or a villain...
1. Chapter 1

**A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…**

 **Star Wars**

 **It is a dark era for the JEDI ORDER. The Sith Empire obliterated the Jedi Temple o** **n Coruscant and slaughtered many of the Republic's brave defenders during the last war.**

 **The surviving Jedi have withdrawn to their ancient homeworld of Tython, where they take advantage of a fragile peace to train a new generation of guardians for the galaxy.**

 **Now a new hope emerges. A young Padawan strong in the Force journeys to Tython's dangerous wilderness to complete the final Jedi trials and become a Knight of the Republic….**

* * *

As the VICTORY-class Republic dreadnaught lazily drifted along its designated patrol route above the vibrant blue and green planet of Tython, its gun batteries lazily panning around for a designated target, a single Republic shuttle unfolded its wings and began an approach vector to the planet below.

As the shuttle began its entry into the atmosphere, the shields on the shuttle began to flare with the familiar lick of atmospheric plasma. Adjusting their angle by the smallest of percentages, the trained pilots within the cockpit minimised the strain on the shields and kept the shuttle at a comfortable temperature, close to that of the planet itself – though the stale smell of the military shuttle remained.

Eventually, the shuttle broke through the atmosphere and began a lazy flight towards its destination – the Masters Retreat, part of the Jedi Temple grounds on the surface where they'd been instructed to land. As the pilots navigated the shuttle over the large expanse of wilderness on the planet, the single passenger on the shuttle opened the cockpit door, placing his hands on the backs of the pilot seats. To their credit, the pilots never once flinched though it would be difficult to tell with their full face helmets and armoured flight suits.

"Tython control, we are ready to land, over." The co-pilot called into his microphone on the console before him. The passenger smiled absently for a moment, watching the scenery pass below him as they sped over. He grinned a little when he spotted a mega-herbivore he didn't know the name of walking over some rolling hills that poked above the treeline for a moment. This was Tython. This was the home of his Order, the home of the Jedi.

 _"Roger that, transport Aurek. Continue to land at the designated coordinates. Welcome to Tython."_ Came the mechanical voice that can only be attributed to communications traffic.

"We're coming up on the landing pad in just a few moments, Jedi." The pilot announced, flicking a number of switches to begin the landing procedures.

"Thank you. Would it be at all possible to fly a little lower?" He asked inquisitively, smiling slightly as he continued to gaze out the window. The back didn't have any windows, it was all re-enforced Durasteel that was theoretically to protect Republic soldiers and minimize the fear prior to a combat drop in a warzone. He much preferred it in the cockpit.

"I don't see why not." The pilot replied, looking at his co-pilot who nodded in return. "Alright, Jenkins drop us by point three-four and begin venting the auxiliaries, let's make this as smooth as possible."

The Jedi grinned behind them, watching as the ground became a lot closer. He could see statues created by the ancient Jedi dotting the landscape, Jedi Masters instructing younglings and Padawans of varying age and species… and that's when he saw it. Standing proud and strong, surrounded by jungle and wilderness was the Jedi Temple. It was smaller than the one on Coruscant had been, but this was simpler, more natural and by the Force itself was it beautiful. He closed his eyes momentarily, feeling the emotions rippling out from it. It was a beacon of calm and fortitude. For thousands of years, the Jedi had been the guardians of the galaxy, always on the capital of the Republic in their huge, grandiose temple on Coruscant but this… this was what the Jedi really were, at their core.

"It's beautiful…" He whispered, feeling a familiar presence within the Temple itself. That caused him to grin momentarily, feeling her presence immediately react to his own. He'd been away from her for far too long.

"Copy that." The co-pilot echoed, awe lacing his breath. "Final approach is set." He added as he flipped a final switch and assisted the pilot to bring the shuttle in over some rolling plains to the east of the Temple by a few kilometres, over a recently constructed dam and finally to the Masters retreat.

As the shuttle cycled through the landing sequence, a number of Padawans that were speaking with their Masters stopped and looked towards the ship. It would be rare for a Republic shuttle to land on the surface, never mind at the Masters personal retreat. He thought he could even see a number of Knights, maybe one or two Masters pause in their tasks. He nodded at the two pilots, "Thank you."

"Just doing our job, Jedi." The pilot nodded back, shutting down the ships systems systematically. With that, the Jedi walked into the back of the transport, quickly gathering his personal belongings. He didn't own much, just a simple set of Jedi robes, a training saber, some holo-books, a holo-portrait of his family and a cyan crystal his mother had gifted to him upon his induction into the Order.

With a small bump and the familiar hiss of the cabin pressurising itself, he smiled slightly to himself as the ramp began to lower. He winced slightly as the sunlight began to peak through the cracks and into the shuttle, though he quickly adjusted his eyesight. Taking a deep breath, he began to descend the metallic ramp and onto the concrete landing pad.

Droids trundled along this way and that as he began making his way to the office he had been previously told to announce himself at. Though, as he looked around and began making his way up the ramp of the landing pad, he noticed a Jedi stood at the top of it, his blonde hair gently blowing in the wind with his arms clasped comfortably behind his back. The Jedi smiled at him and nodded. Taking this as the Jedi he was intended to meet with, he began to approach though he struggled to keep the wonder off of his face as he gazed around, his own dark hair billowing in the gentle wind.

"Welcome to Tython, Padawan. Everyone at the temple is looking forward to meeting you." The Jedi greeted, bowing slightly. He returned the bow equally, smiling the entire time. He had been worried about the reception he would receive, though it seemed his fears had gone unfounded.

They continued walking for a few moments in silence, the older Jedi giving the Padawan time to absorb everything around him and work through his wonder of being on the home planet of the very order he belonged to. It was breath-taking in every sense of the word.

"Your former Masters praise your combat skills. They say you're becoming and expert duelist." The older Jedi announced once they reached a room on the upper level. It was filled with computers and terminals. Even a droid or two were present.

He shrugged, slightly embarrassed by the praise, "It's easy to excel when you're trained by the best." It was true, he had been trained by the best the Order had to offer. He'd been trained by the most powerful Jedi of the era in various disciplines within the Force and with a multitude of weapons, all because someone somewhere had claimed he was special. He didn't enjoy the extra treatment and over the years had come to even resent it slightly. The older Jedi seemed to pick up on his feelings on the matter quite clearly.

"The Jedi Council will assign you a new Master to oversee your final trials. You'll be tested in way you can't imagine. You've earned this, Nasra. But when you leave Tython, you'll know what it means to be a Jedi Knight. More importantly, you'll know yourself."

Nasra nodded, feeling his chest expand unconsciously. "I'm ready to start my trials, Master. Where do I start?"

The Jedi smiled at the Padawan for a moment, "There's a speeder that will take you to-"He began, stopping himself when he heard his holo-communicator ping with an emergency frequency. With a worried frown, the middle-aged Jedi accepted the call and gasped at the state the Padawan on the other end was in. Even from here, Nasra could tell that his fellow Padawan was heavily injured from… was that a blaster burn?

 _"-under attack, I repeat we're under attack! Flesh Raiders are invading the Padawan training grounds! They have blasters! Send help!"_ The feed suddenly cut off, finishing with a loud explosion and static.

"Flesh raiders… armed with blasters? I've never heard of such a thing." The Jedi frowned, caught somewhere between confusion and worry.

"We could hear the blaster fire, we need to help!" Nasra exclaimed, his worry for the other Padawans, the Youngling he'd seen on his flight here was overriding all sense for caution and patience.

"Calm down, Padawan. Never rush into a fight before knowing your enemy." The Jedi reprimanded in a kind tone, "Flesh Raiders are a species of hostile natives. They're smart enough to use tools and violent beyond reason. I'm sending every able-bodied Jedi down to the training grounds right away – especially you." He announced, already typing commands into a nearby terminal as an alarm began to chime throughout the complex. Suddenly, the retreat became alive with the sounds of Jedi Knights and Masters racing past the room as they ran to get to a speeder. The Padawans were the next generation of Jedi and it was their duty to protect them.

"Just point the way, Master. I'll handle the rest." Nasra announced, standing somewhat taller than he had before. He gripped his training saber in his hand unconsciously. It wasn't a true lightsaber, and while it couldn't be used offensively against an enemy, it was still capable of deflecting blaster bolts and a true lightsaber to great effect. He was to fight offensively, he'd have to rely on his ability within the Force.

"There should be a number of speeders by the landing pad. Take one to the training grounds and link up with the rest of the Jedi already there. I'll meet up with you when I can, now go!" The older Jedi ordered, still furiously typing away on the console.

Nasra wasted no time and darted out of the room, running along the platforms in search of a free speeder. He hadn't realised upon his landing that the Retreat had been so full of people. He dodged and weaved between various lifeforms until he finally found what it was that he was looking for. There, parked slightly away from the rest of them was an Aretech Sythe – one of the fastest speeders to come from the company. That would do nicely.

As he leapt on it, he began the short start-up sequence by igniting the fuel cells and grinned to himself when the engine roared to life with a deep, menacing growl that shook him all the way to his gut. He revved the engine to clear the exhaust once, twice, three times and began to tilt the bike backwards. The deep growl continued for a moment or two and then he released the air-brake and cycled to the first gear. He pushed so much acceleration into the engine that the initial lurch almost tore him off the bike altogether, though with having experienced this particular model of bike prior he was somewhat expecting it.

As he began his journey to the training grounds over the reservoir, he could see the multitude of Jedi ahead of him heading for the same destination. Not knowing the planet, he decided to fall in line and follow them. He hadn't seen Jedi deploy while on his travels in the galaxy in any large number, but he could feel hundreds all over the planet converging on the training grounds. In his head, he knew that such a deployment hadn't been witnessed since the Galactic War and the Sith Empire. He thought it somewhat beautiful but at the same time terrifying.

The Jedi were going to defend their own against an unprovoked attack…

He almost felt sorry for the Flesh Raiders.


	2. Chapter 2

The world exploded around him. Sounds that should have been deafening were now muffled and muted. The ground shook beneath his feet, the world echoing the dull thumps of grenades detonating not far from his position. His breathing was heavy as he looked around, trying to shake the shock out of his head. He pushed himself to his hands and knees after a moment, watching as clumps of dirt fell from him when in a flash everything came back to him.

He'd been on the Aretech when a missile had appeared out of nowhere and struck the side of the vehicle. If it hadn't been for the brief warning in the Force, he'd have been killed in the explosion. As it stood currently, he'd dropped several dozen feet onto a field that had become a battleground.

Jedi stood side to side either batting away blaster bolts or using the Force to deflect projectiles such as crude missiles back into the enemy lines. Some Jedi were even in a melee with a number of the grotesque natives as the energy from the lightsabers sliced through the wooden handles of the beasts. It seemed the Jedi had the skill and technology however the sheer numbers of the Raiders were threatening to overwhelm them.

Shakily, he stood spitting out a globule of saliva and dirt. He cringed at the taste. He looked around, spotting a hastily erected command post a few hundred feet behind the Jedi. Masters were looking back and forth barking orders this way and that. Shaking off his disorientation, he sprinted over to the Masters.

Upon arriving, he suddenly felt incredibly small and inexperienced. Before him were Knights and Masters that had fought and survived the war against the Sith Empire. Men and women who had faced down the Empire that would enslave the entire Republic and had come out on top. Their strength in the Force shone like a beacon and made his knees weak.

"Move! Get that barricade up!" A Nautolan Jedi Knight ordered a pair of Padawans. The Padawans nodded and sprinted off further behind the line.

"Where is the Troops we requested from orbit?" A female Devaronian Jedi Master demanded, frowning as she hunched over the tactical command unit.

"Still en-route, Master! We're on our own until then!" A voice called out from somewhere within the mass of life-forms.

"Boy, what are you doing here?" An elderly Twi'lek snapped. It took a moment for Nasra to realise he was addressing him. He snapped out of his stupor after a moment's hesitation.

"I'm Padawan Nasra, Master. I'm here to assist where I can. I have combat experience." He added almost as an after-thought. If he could assist in the fighting, rather than support then he'd rather do as much as he could.

"Nasra? Good, good. You'll need that experience boy." The Master paused a moment, frowning as he seemed to spot something. "That lightsaber, is it a training blade?"

Nasra hoped he didn't look like he was cringing when he nodded, unhooking the hilt and passing it over to the Master before him. The Twi'lek took it without hesitation, turning the hilt over in his hands as he frowned.

"This isn't good enough for combat. Take one of these and report to the Western flank. You'll fill the breach that's opened." The Master intoned emotionlessly, reminding the young Padawan of a droid for a moment. When the Master opened a small field box, Nasra's eyes lit up at the sight of over a dozen lightsaber hilts inside – no doubt spares in case of an emergency. He palmed a standard hilt with a Nexu leather grip and smiled slightly. This would be his first time using a live lightsaber outside of a training room. To say he was nervous would be an understatement.

"What are you doing here, Padawan? Move, move, move!" The Master barked, shooing the Padawan away.

* * *

Nasra sprinted along the combat line, flinching when a Jedi dropped to the floor to his right when a blaster bolt caught her in the shoulder. Without thinking, he leapt to the side, snapping the blade to life with a reassuring snap-hiss and began twirling the blade at intricate angles, batting blaster bolts back into the life forms just mere metres away.

It wasn't until a Flesh Raider came within striking distance that he really noticed them for the first time. They were large. Larger than any man he'd seen before. Their skin was a sickly pink colour that hung loosely to their bodies, though despite that the muscles rippling beneath that sickening flesh was evident. He had no doubt that one would rip him apart if given half a chance. He couldn't tell if it was baring its teeth menacingly, or if it was grinning in anticipation. With its mouth open, Nasra could see the lines upon lines of razor sharp teeth lining its wide mouth.

It snorted once, twice, three times. Then it charged.

Years of training and discipline kicked in, sending his senses into a state of hyper-awareness he had never experienced before. He spread his feet slightly, making his stance slightly steadier. It raised its blade high and swung with such a force that if the lightsaber hadn't destroyed the weapon, it would have cleaved it in two.

The Raider paused, realising it was now weapon-less. It hesitated for all of a heartbeat before lunging forward. Nasra didn't hesitated as he spun out the way and brought his blade down on its exposed neck, decapitating it in one clean movement.

Before the body had even crumpled to the floor, the young Jedi was off again, ducking before stray bolts and leaping over the fallen of both factions. He didn't have time to stop and mourn the fallen Jedi. This was a combat situation and there would be time to mourn the dead later.

When he arrived at the flank, he could see that the line was close to falling. With a sense of horror, he could see that there were many Padawans trapped here, fighting for their lives. It made sense though. Travelling all down the line, the fighting was a lot heavier on other sections, demanding the attention of the Knights and Masters. The Jedi were stretched thin and now Padawans as young as thirteen cycles were fighting for their lives with nothing more than vibroswords or scavenged blasters.

With a grunt, he leapt upwards, propelling himself through the air. The wind whipped at his robes, the cloak lost in the crash. He spun his body forward, gathering his power in the Force into his fists. He landed in an explosion of Force energy, throwing Flesh Raiders into the air and against the nearby cliff face like a small child throwing around their dolls. Bodies cracked and splintered against the sudden stop against the cliff and those that were lucky enough to miss it stood shakily to see the Padawans unaffected by the outburst.

Nasra stood slowly, igniting his blade in his right hand and spun it once before charging into the enemy. Blaster bolts suddenly flew in his direction but he either spun out of their path or deflected them back at the enemy. Before the Flesh Raiders could react, he was in their lines. Each swing of his lightsaber a killing blow. He became a blur, leaping from enemy to enemy, the blade becoming a blur as he worked.

His efforts seemed to work as he got lost in the motions of battle as before long the Padawans he was defending suddenly joined him, his lightsaber becoming a rallying sight for these that were just so close to death.

He lost track of time as he continued to fight. A number of a times a Flesh Raider got a lucky hit in with their crude weapons, finding a gap in his defence. As the last Raider fell to the floor in this sector, he touched the cut on his cheek that would no doubt scar. He frowned slightly, looking around the battlefield. Even from here, he could tell that the Jedi were beginning to push forward, away from the command post. It seemed the day was close to being won.

"Shore up the line, make sure we can't get over-run again." He ordered a nearby Padawan, a young Duros by the looks of it. The Duro nodded and rushed off to gather the other Padawans. He watched them work for a few moments as they policed the dead, scavenging weapons and supplies where they could when he felt his communicator vibrating in a pouch on his belt.

Frowning, he clicked it active and couldn't hold back the look of shock on his face at the caller.

" _You're unharmed – good. Flesh Raider shot me in the leg while I was rescuing some Padawans."_ The Jedi that greeted him announced. Even from here, Nasra could see it was a brutal wound and had to commend the elder Jedi for keeping it together for as long as he had, _"Don't know where these things got blasters, but the know how to use them. I've been evacuated to a medcenter, but the fighting isn't over."_

Nasra frowned, "We're pushing back the enemy. The Western flank is secure."

" _That's good but we need to discover the source of this attack. Another Padawan found a cave tunnel the Flesh Raiders are using to enter this valley. We need you at this tunnel, making sure the Flesh Raiders can't get another foothold for reinforcements."_

"Alone? I'm sure a Knight or a Master could-"he began, frowning slightly before the Jedi cut him off.

" _All the Knights and Masters are already occupied with their own duties in this fight. We've even had to draft in the younglings to supplement support. No, you're the only one available. I'm transmitting co-ordinates of this tunnel now. We need to end this conflict now before anyone else gets hurt."_

"Consider it done, Master." Nasra promised, looking over his shoulder at the Padawans behind him. They seemed secure enough for the time being.

As the feed cut out, the elder Jedi gave one final good-bye, _"May the Force be with you."_

* * *

Nasra had been jogging to these co-ordinates for an hour or so when he finally came upon the mountain range it was situated within. The mountains looked intimidating, rising high above the surrounding landscape. The jagged rock presented Nasra with millennia of erosion from the various elements from this garden-world. He wished he could see the things that this planet had. The birth of the Jedi Order, the secrets it had witnessed. If only the planet could speak.

He approached the cave entrance slowly, his eyes scanning the inside, looking for any trace of an ambush. Reaching out slowly with his senses, he began to probe for lifeforms and found none for some distance.

He took one steps, two steps, three steps into the cave before his vision was completely black before him. It seemed the cave itself sucked out any visibility the entrance behind him would provide, though visibility itself was low outside as the sun was just beginning to drop towards the horizon.

With the now reassuring snap-hiss of his procured lightsaber coming to life at his side, the blue blade illuminated the cave before him. The hazy blue glow provided him with a path leading deeper into the cave system. If he could find a way to collapse the tunnel, then the fight would just become clean-up.

The cave was cold, unnervingly so compared to the warmth of the outside world. He looked to his side, seeing the moisture caught on the walls as it dripped lazily down to the floor. The floor wasn't much better, having a water level up to his ankles. If it weren't for his leather combat boots, his feet would no doubt be frozen to the bone.

A clatter caught his attention ahead of him, causing him to swing his blade before him anticipating an attack. He took another step forward and felt the crunch of something beneath his boot. Not wanting to move another step and create more noise in the echoing tunnel, he lowered his blade and grimaced at the sight of crushed bone. If his biology was correct, he'd just put his boot through a young Zabrak skull. Not even an adolescent if the small horns were anything to go by. He wanted to throw up, but knew that to do so would only cause unnecessary noise and delay him even further.

He frowned but continued on, watching the floor for any other unwelcome obstacles. He continued walking some more into the cave, still not sensing any immediate danger when he thought he could hear voices. He paused, switching off his lightsaber for a moment to confirm his suspicions, straining his human hearing as far as it could go. Was he just hearing things?

There! There it was again! He continued creeping forward, shuffling along so as not to knock anything too loudly. Once he almost walked into a wall. Eventually, he could smell smoke and then a little further in he could see the dull orange glow around a corner of a fire. He'd found them.

When he came around the corner, he froze. Ahead of him was a restrained Padawan struggling against his bonds, the very same that had called on the holo about the attack when it all began. Standing over him imperiously was a human that swam in the Darkside. Nasra paused. He'd never confronted a Darkside adept before.

"Stop struggling, Padawan. Your life was over the moment you set foot here." The stranger intoned, folding his arms over his chest.

"You are Jedi! Why would you kill me?" The Padawan demanded, his large Duros eyes searching the cavernous room for answers, an escape, anything.

The stranger sneered, "Because the Order must evolve – and you are weak." He announced, spitting at the Padawans feet. Before Nasra could stop himself, he opened his mouth to defend his fellow Jedi.

"Whoever you are, step away from that Padawan."

The stranger spun around, his hand already on his weapon. He backed up after a moment before frowning, "Hmm. You are… dangerous. You killed my soldiers!"

"He commands the Flesh Raiders attacking us!" The Padawan shouted, earning a boot to the cheek from his captor. Nasra winced as the younger Padawan gripped the side of its bleeding mouth and lay on the floor, dazed.

Before he could move to help, Flesh Raiders began to almost materialise out of the cavern walls, smiling that vicious predatory smile of theirs. Nasra thumbed the lightsaber in his palm, spinning the blade into a defensive position. He'd be fighting an up-hill struggle, and that was to survive, let alone save this Padawan.

"Not attacking – cleansing. And we have only just begun." The stranger announced, grinning as his Flesh Raiders began to gather around him.

"I'm going to give you one chance to put down your weapons. Nobody has to die here." Nasra warned, putting as much bravado into his voice as possible. Around him, the Raiders began to creep ever so closer, snarling.

"The old Order is dead. Long live the new Order. Flesh Raiders, attack!" The stranger commanded, stepping away from the battle to watch.

Nasra reacted instantly, dropping low as a crude blade passed through the air where his neck used to be. He spun low, swinging his blade out as he did. With a cry of pain, the first fell in two. Before he knew it, he was up, jumping over a low slash of a spear. He kicked out with enough force to cave in the skull of the second. Once he landed again, he was spinning his blade this way and that. He sliced through weapons, shields, crude armour and flesh as he fought for his life. This was a fight for his life and he was using all the training he'd received in his various apprenticeships to various Masters around the galaxy to keep him going.

Suddenly, a blaster sounded in the cavern. Almost without thinking, Nasra pulled his blade to his centre and deflected the bolt into another Flesh Raider that crumpled into a heap. If he had to now defend against ranged and melee attacks, he'd need to go on the offensive. With a grunt, he leapt up and over the throng of Flesh Raiders around him and to one of the Raiders with a blaster. Two swipes with his blade later and both the weapon and Raider fell in two pieces respectively.

With a grunt, Nasra pushed within the Force against the large congregation of Raiders before him. He pushed with all his might, watching as they fell against the far wall. Some struck the wall with such force that the wall cracked and the bodies hung there in indentations. He looked around for a moment, deflecting a trio of shots back into another pair of blaster wielding Raiders. Where was that stranger?

A warning in the Force prompted him to dive to the right. He did so, not doubting his feelings for an instant. As he looked back at where he had been, he saw the stranger impale his blade in the floor, missing his target by barely a heartbeat.

"You're strong, I'll give you that." He announced, spinning his own blade around him.

Nasra didn't give him the benefit of a response, instead choosing to leap back at the dark Jedi with an overhead slash. If he could pound through the strangers' defences quickly, then the fight would be short lived. As he landed and felt his blade connect, he was shocked as he began moving through the movements of a lightsaber duel at how pitifully weak his opponents defence was. Gritting his teeth, Nasra batted the opposing blade aside and with a pair of quick slashes, both arms of his opponent hit the floor with a dull slap. The man screamed in agony, dropping to his knees as he looked on in horror as his arms just lay before him, his lightsaber still firmly clutched in one hand.

Nasra deactivated his blade after a moment, his breathing coming in short ragged gasps. He was shaken to his core. He looked around, searching for the restrained Padawan. Seeing his fellow student, he sighed a breath of relief he hadn't realised he'd been holding.

The man was still screaming and it would no doubt alert other Flesh raiders further in the cave. Making a split second decision, Nasra brought his fist back and brought it down across the man's temple, knocking him unconscious. The cauterised stumps of his elbows would stop him from bleeding out, though he would require medical attention to survive the trauma his body would be going into.

He darted over to the other Padawan, cutting his bonds with a quick swipe from the lightsaber, "That was amazing, I thought we were dead!" the Padawan announced, his whole body trembling. Corpses littered the ground around them.

Suddenly, a voice called from where Nasra had come, "Hello? Anyone in here?"

Nasra perked up, hoping for some assistance, "We're in here!" He called out, watching the shadows. His prayers were answered when a team of Jedi led by an older human male raced into the room, only hesitating upon seeing the number of corpses littered around the room – some killed quite brutally. You didn't go for finesse when fighting for your life.

"You two alright? What happened here?" The elderly Jedi asked, racing over to them as the other Jedi began to police the bodies, checking for wounded or clues about the attack.

The Duro pointed at the unconscious Jedi on the floor, "This Jedi attacked us Master. He was sick… confused." The older man signalled for a pair of Jedi healers with a wave of his arm. He sighed, looking at the man below him.

"This man's no Jedi – at least not one of us. What's important is that you're both safe." The older Jedi frowned, watching as the healers began to apply Kolto packs on his stumps.

"He organised the attack on the training grounds. Called the Flesh Raiders his 'soldiers'." Nasra announced, watching his once opponent get carted off towards the entrance of the tunnel. He wondered just how many Jedi this Master had brought with him.

The older Jedi sighed sadly, "I warned the Jedi Council these natives aren't mindless beasts. This is proof enough of that. I-"he began, though seemed to pause at the sight of the hand still clutching the lightsaber next to his boot. He kneeled, pulling the hilt out of the limp grip, frowning as he stood.

"This lightsaber… There's something familiar to it. Strange." The older man seemed to shake himself out of it after a moment, "You held off all these attackers by yourself… Impressive." The older Jedi grinned, prompting Nasra's own to grow on his face. He was tired, beaten and drained but by the Force it was a good feeling to have a Jedi Master admit to being impressed.

"I-I, uh, I followed my instincts, that's all." Nasra admitted bashfully, feeling the blush creep up his neck slowly.

The Master before him chuckled, attaching the hilt to his belt next to his own, "They served you well. This battle's over, but we don't want any more Flesh Raiders coming through here." He stepped past the two Padawans and over a trio of mangled corpses before coming to a stop. With a calming breath, the Master raised his hands before him and then suddenly jerked his hands down, causing the rocks in the tunnel leading further into the cave to collapse, sealing the route for the time being.

"That should hold them back, for now." The Master announced, dusting off his hands as if it were nothing. Both Padawans stood there in muted shock for a moment.

"I can see why you're a Jedi Master." The Duro gasped, holding his stomach.

"What can I say - when you get as old as me, you learn a few tricks." The Master shrugged. Nasra liked this Jedi.

"I'm injured Master. Are the training grounds safe for travel?" The Duro gasped, wincing in pain.

"Not yet. I'll get you to a medcenter." The Master promised, smiling reassuringly. He looked at Nasra, "You seem alright to travel. There's a speeder bike outside with your name on it. Report to the Jedi Council when you reach the Temple." The Master began to walk away, holding a limping Padawan's arm around his neck to support him.

"Uh, Master?" Nasra called out, frowning. The Master stopped and turned, "I don't know where the Temple is. I arrived planet-side just before the attack."

Realisation seemed to dawn on the Master before he began fishing around in his utility belt with his free hand before seemingly finding what he was looking for. With a small toss, the Master threw the small datapad over to the Padawan who caught it easily, glancing at the screen.

"Co-ordinates are on there. I'll see you back at the Temple."

* * *

The speeder flew through the evening air easily. While it wasn't the powerful machine that he had to dive off of earlier in the day, it got the job done at a comfortable pace. From where he was currently on his recently procured map, he was only a few minutes from the Temple itself. Already, he could feel the calming energies pulsating from its ancient structure and he let it rejuvenate his tired body as best it could. He held no doubt within his mind that he would sleep well tonight.

As the whine of the engine below him suddenly seemed to pause, Nasra shifted down a gear, bringing the speeder down over a hill. He caught glimpses in the corners of his eyes of speeders, even small ships darting this way and that. No doubt Jedi with their own duties to fulfil.

They weren't what caught his eye though. Suddenly, seemingly hidden by the hill he'd just crested over, the Jedi Temple was visible. There, stood in all its majestic beauty was a Temple that hadn't been walked in hundreds, if not thousands of years and it looked like it had just been constructed. Magnificent marble columns supported archways that towered over any who decided to walk through them. Shrubbery and beautiful plants dotted small gardens to the sides of the entrance, the foliage thriving in the climate. This was where he belonged.

He pulled the speeder to a steady stop, parking it next to a group of similar bikes and nodded to the Jedi stood by them reading off of a datapad. The Jedi nodded back and motioned him to continue on his way.

He was just about to begin walking towards the entrance, when his communicator beeped, once again signalling an incoming call. With a quick press of a button, he smiled at the image of a middle-aged woman in unique battle-robes smiling kindly at him, "Master Shan, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

" _Nasra, it's good to see you again. If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with you privately before you meet with the others on the Council."_

Nasra frowned, "Of course, Master. What do you need?"

" _This isn't a discussion for a comm channel. Come to my meditation room in the temple. We'll talk there."_ Nasra didn't respond, merely nodding his conformation before ending the call. With renewed purpose, he began marching towards the entrance.

Once inside, he had to pause a moment to admire the architecture of the Jedi Temple as he watched various beings go this way and that to complete their tasks. With a small smile on his face, he pulled a Youngling to the side and asked, "Pardon the interruption, but do you know where I can find Master Shan's meditation chamber?"

"Of course. It's just up a floor and along the eastern corridor. You can't miss it." With a polite bow, the two of them parted and Nasra began a steady jog to the room in question, earning curious looks from all he passed.

When he arrived outside the door, he was suddenly more nervous than he'd been going into combat earlier in the day. He looked down at himself, seeing his tattered robes, covered in dirt and blaster scorches. He frowned and dusted off what he could. With a sigh, not at all happy about his appearance, he opened the door before him – smiling at the gentle chime as he entered the room.

The room was as you would expect a Jedi Grandmasters meditation chamber to be, filled with books, datapads, scented candles and holocrons. His smile grew when he saw her look up from her position on the floor, the door closing behind him and locking with a gentle click.

"Nasra. It's good to see you." She smiled, standing up and walking up to him. He hadn't realised how much he'd grown until he stood before her. Last they met, she was still a head taller than he, though now he seemed to have outgrown her by a head. He smiled warmly back. Before he knew what came over him, he leapt forward enveloping her in an embrace.

"I've missed you, mother." He sighed into her shoulder. He held her tighter when he felt her arms around him, her sudden peck on the cheek she used to give him as a child that he used to hate.

"And I you. Tell me, how was your journey?" She asked, guiding him over to a table and chairs on the far side of the room. He shrugged casually.

"About as well as you can expect. Although, I have to say that it was by far the most relaxing experience on a Dreadnaught than I've had in a long time." He grinned cheekily, watching as she frowned in concern for a moment. His mother, Satele Shan – Grandmaster of the Jedi Order was terrified for her children, himself in particular. While Theron had decided to join the SIS over the last few months, Nasra himself was about to become a full-fledged Jedi Knight. He'd be going into situations that would test him every moment in his life. He'd be hunted by the empire for just existing.

"You're aware of how I feel about that, Nasra." She said in a motherly tone. As a consequence of being in the Order, it had been somewhat easier to form a connection with his mother compared to Theron. Theron had been born with a low aptitude within the Force itself. He could use it to guard his mind and heighten his instincts, but that was the extent of his abilities. As a result of this, he was denied entry into the Order and instead decided to follow in their father's footsteps, joining the military and eventually signing onto the SIS.

"We have to do dangerous things all the time as Jedi. What about that time you and your master duelled those two Sith you told me about above Korriban? You weren't much older than me then." He pointed out, flashing her his most innocent smile and batting his eyelids a few times.

As it usually did, that simple act of appealing to the mother in her won out against her better judgement and Satele sighed as she reclined into her seat, shaking her head in exasperation. He may have been just shy of his twentieth nameday, but he wasn't above giving his mother the Wookie-cub eyes.

"The temple is already buzzing with accounts of your heroism in the training grounds. The Padawans and Younglings are particularly enamoured with you." Satele announced, raising one of her eyebrows as she witnessed her eldest son begin to squirm in his seat, no doubt anticipating where this was heading. She continued, regardless, "Master Orgus told me you battled Flesh Raiders – and a Force user with a lightsaber." She announced, emphasising the end. Her son winced.

"Yeah… that." He stammered, grimacing. "If it helps, I saved a Padawan doing that!"

"That's not the point, Nasra." Satele sighed, "You could have been seriously injured, or even killed!"

"Hey, I thought it was stupid to send just me but I was told I was the only one available." He shrugged, sighing as he ran a hand through his unkempt, dark hair that he'd inherited from his mother.

"It must have been disturbing at the very least. How are you holding up after today?" She asked, leaning forwards and holding the one hand he'd placed on the table.

"I'll be fine, I suppose. Killing is surprisingly easy, but it's the dealing with it afterwards that's the hard part." Nasra sighed, rubbing his eyes as his mother ran her thumb back and forth over the back of his left hand. It was a simple, but immensely comforting act.

"If you ever need to talk…" Satele offered, frowning in worry. Today had been the first time her son had killed in a melee. He'd had to kill in self-defence before in his prior combat experiences out in the galaxy, but usually with a blaster or the Force. Killing with a lightsaber was a very… personal experience.

"I know, I know." He sighed, smiling tiredly as he looked back up. Suddenly he felt the activities of the day catch up to him and couldn't hold in the yawn that escaped his mouth.

"Go, get yourself some sleep. There's a cot through the door over there." Satele commanded, pointing to a door to the side of the room. "In the morning, we'll meet with the Council and decide how to proceed. You'll also find some real robes fit for a Jedi Knight in there waiting for you. The Force is all well and good, but it always helps to have a little backup." She grinned, pushing him into his new room.

"G'night mom!" He called through the now closed door, earning a small smile from the leader of the Jedi Order.


	3. Chapter 3

The Council chambers stood before him. Beyond those doors were the most wise and powerful Jedi the Order had. He, a lowly Padawan was about to have a meeting with them. He was terrified. While his own mother sat on the Council herself and in actual fact led the Order, it didn't help alleviate his concern. This meeting was to determine his Trials, the tasks he had to complete to become a full-fledged Jedi Knight.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the ancient double doors, smiling a little to himself as he witnessed the Councils interior for the first time in his life. The architecture was beautiful, full of graceful arcs and smooth stone that was comfortably warm to the touch.

As he walked the small corridor leading into the much larger room, he felt incredibly small beneath the large stone statues of ancient and powerful Jedi that lined the walls – some even holding inscriptions beneath them to state who they once were. His eyes were drawn to a solemn looking elderly man with no hair. As his eyes passed over it, he spotted the inscription – Jolee Bindo. He smiled slightly, wishing he'd have had a chance to speak to the famously grumpy and wise Master.

He cleared his throat, feeling it tighten with his nerves as he finally entered the room, looking around the assembled Masters. As far as he could tell, there were only one or two not in attendance. He could see Master Syo Bakarn, Master Jaric Kaedan, Master Gnost-Dural, Master Tol Braga, Master Oric Traless, Master Orus Din – whom he had discovered this morning was the Master he'd had the pleasure of meeting in the cave, Master Bela Kiwiks – with who he assumed must be her Padawan stood dutifully behind her and finally his mother sat directly in the middle of the semi-circle around the table. As he walked into the room, he saw just the hint of a proud smile tug at the corner of his mother's mouth. He couldn't help the grin he sent her way.

He'd awoken at sun-rise, like many Jedi and discovered the replacement robes that his mother had set aside for him. Gone were the classic cloth garments that would seemingly get caught on every other plant on the planet. Instead, he now wore a full set of white armour that would protect his body, while a dark brown tunic was worn over the torso with a pair of ceremonial shoulder guards with the Jedi Orders logo clearly visible. He was never any more proud to wear something as he was now.

"I searched the temple archives. This Force user leading the Flesh Raiders never received Jedi training." Master Kiwiks began without preamble, placing her hands elegantly on the table before her. While Kiwiks herself seemed the definition of calm, her Padawan seemed on edge behind her. Nasra raised a brow at her.

"The Sith have found us. Shouldn't we get ready for them?" She asked, the short bob she had styled her hair in swaying slightly as she spoke.

"Calm yourself, Padawan." Master Oric Traless spoke up, smiling reassuringly at the young woman.

"But we've all sensed a growing darkness – perhaps it's finally revealed itself." Master Dural announced to the chamber in general, eyeing Nasra and Satele in particular – though Nasra struggled to pick up anything else on the Kel-Dor's face.

Nasra frowned, placing his hands behind his back as he looked down at the table before him slightly. He thought back to the duel he'd had in the cave. It worried him immensely. All the prior night, despite being beyond any sense of exhaustion he'd experienced before, he'd had a restless sleep – plagued by dreams of a darkness. Could this have been it?

"The enemy I fought wanted to destroy the Order. I've never heard anything darker than that."

"Well that brightened up the room…" The red-haired Padawan muttered loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. While it was a serious matter, he couldn't help the slight chuckle that escaped him.

"Everyone, this is the Padawan who saved our people in the training grounds." Master Orgus announced, smiling in Nasra's direction. Nasra returned the acknowledgement with a simple bow of his head.

"I was just doing my duty, Master."

"Humility is all well and good until it blinds people to the truth. What you did was beyond remarkable. Well done, Padawan Shan." Master Syo congratulated, purposely mentioning the last name most tried to ignore.

For years, he'd heard Jedi from the lowliest of Padawans to the highest of Masters whisper his name, claiming he was an affront to the Order. A Jedi born of the Grandmaster, a direct breach of the rule of no attachments. He'd heard a rumour a year or so ago that a number of Jedi had petitioned to have him expelled due to his last name. His mother had quickly destroyed that notion. When he focused his senses on Master Bakarn though, he could sense no hostility. That felt somewhat new. For the first time in his life, someone had acknowledged his last name in a positive light. He came from a long line of powerful Jedi that had served proudly, stemming from Bastila Shan herself – the wife of Revan himself. Unconsciously, he felt his chest swell with pride.

"Yes, Master." Nasra said, bowing slightly.

"This is Master Kiwiks and her extremely vocal Padawan, Kira. To my right is Master Kaedan," The Jedi that Master Orgus pointed to provided Nasra with a polite nod, "I think the only other Master you've not met is Master Tol Braga."

"A pleasure, young one." The Master said in his deep, flanged voice as he bowed his head courteously.

With introductions over and done with, his mother took the opportunity to speak, "The temple's safety is unexpectedly threatened. The Flesh Raiders were disorganised primitives before yesterday's events."

"They carry blasters and as many Jedi can no doubt confirm, know how to use them. I would hardly call them disorganised now." Nasra agreed, frowning slightly. How had the Jedi not noticed the mobilisation of the Flesh Raiders?

"The man leading the Flesh Raiders probably wasn't acting alone." Master Din theorised, stroking his chin.

"Much of Tython remains unexplored, and we have few resources to spare." Satele reminded the older Master.

To his credit, Master Orgus didn't blink at the rebuke and instead raised a hand to calm the Grandmaster, "I'll handle it – with the help of my new Padawan."

Nasra's head shot up, his mouth slightly agape. He'd half expected to have his trials forgotten about in the madness following the attack. If this Master was willing to take him on, then it must mean that something was planned for him by the Council. While he was ecstatic to continue has a senior Padawan, he was slightly disappointed in not being assigned to his mother. In his younger days as a Youngling, his mother would sit down and teach him various abilities within the Force – they were basic things such as telekinesis and basic meditation, but he treasure the memories nonetheless.

While Nasra struggled to find words to appropriately define how grateful and honoured he would be to continue under Master Orgus, his mother sensed his floundering and smiled kindly, "I can think of nobody better qualified to handle this promising Padawan - my son."

Nasra blushed furiously. Satele had never acknowledged him as her son in public before, let alone to the Jedi Council. By no means was their relationship a normal one between a mother and son, but it worked for them. They showered each other in affection in private, adopting their roles seamlessly. He almost felt a few tears coming on. He cleared his throat to gather himself.

"I-I thank you… Mother." He bowed, lowly – so much so that his dark hair that had been pushed back fell forward slightly. He would have to find a tie somewhere he realised with a frown.

"Orgus, you haven't had a Padawan since Coruscant." Master Kiwiks announced, smiling kindly as she always did. As Nasra straightened himself up, he noticed the shocked expression still on the other Padawans face.

"The Force is strong in him. Stronger than I've ever seen." Orgus replied, shocking Nasra. He knew he grasped things easier than most Padawans his age. He had a control of the Force that came naturally – he never gave it much thought. He frowned, puzzled. He thought he'd just been a good learner, but perhaps it was his blood giving him an extra edge.

"I don't mind taking my final trials once we've dealt with the Flesh Raiders." Nasra offered, his voice suddenly shy. He suddenly felt as if every pair of eyes were scrutinising him for something, anything to determine his character and potential as a Jedi.

"This is what you should aspire to, Kira." Kiwiks chuckled, earning a frown from her Padawan. Nasra blushed further.

While it seemed the Council meeting was winding down, Master Orgus looked at him, a kind smile on his weathered face, "Meet me in my chambers downstairs. I trust you still have that spare lightsaber you were given?" Orgus asked, eyeing the hilt attached to the Padawans belt. When Nasra nodded, he continued, "Good. I'll meet you there."

With that as his dismissal, Nasra bowed at the waist once more and backed out of the room. The clacking of his heels echoing on the elegant stone corridors. This was it, his final period as a Padawan. He would soon have the one thing he'd dreamt of as a child – the title of Jedi Knight. One day, he may even take on a Padawan learner to watch grow into a fellow Jedi with pride.

Nasra had taken some time once he was dressed to memorise the layout of the Temple – he couldn't very well be stopping and asking directions every time he was asked to go somewhere. As a result, he navigated himself to his Masters quarters within only a few minutes. If it weren't for his quick studies this morning, he would surely have gotten lost.

* * *

The quarters were fairly barren of any belongings, giving Nasra no clue as to how his new Master would approach his training. He sighed, walking over to a couch and sitting down. A thought struck him after a moment. Un-clipping his stand-in lightsaber, he began inspecting the casing. His eyes roamed over every detail furiously. If he were to use this in combat again – which he no doubt believed he would have to by the end of his Padawanship, he needed to know every inch of the weapon. From the Nexu leather grip to the basic bolts drilled into the metalwork. It was crude, but was beautiful in a simple way – evidently the crafter of this weapon was going more concerned about functionality than the ergonomics. It would suit his fighting style for now, but he would need to craft his own soon. He had just the right crystal for the job too, sitting in one of the many pouches on his belt.

"Blast those Council meetings. I'll die of old age before my colleagues run out of things to say." The disgruntled voice of Orgus Din announced as he waltzed into the chambers. He smiled at Nasra who had been bent over his lightsaber, turning it over in his hands as he walked in.

Nasra stood straight away, clipping the hilt to his belt once more. "Have you always felt that way about the Council?" He asked, an inquisitive frown on his face.

Orgus chuckled, "Don't misunderstand – they're good people. I just prefer to get things done." Nasra had to agree to that. While he was always willing for an interesting conversation, he was always more interested in actually doing something than going over the theory. "This situation has come at you fast. You're braving dangers many Jedi don't face. I wouldn't blame you for having questions."

Nasra smiled slightly, grateful for the concern the older Jedi was showing, "I'll make sense of things later."

"Ah, a Jedi after my own heart. You really are Satele's son." Orgus chuckled, gently patting Nasra on the shoulder. Nasra tensed slightly at the mention of his mother unconsciously. What was Orgus' opinion of him and his mother? Would he hold it against him in his final training?

"About my mother…" Nasra began awkwardly, "Did you know before deciding to train me?"

"Of course I did. All the Council has to know who we address in our meetings. I have to say though, we've been particularly interested in you since the ordeal at Serroco." Orgus admitted, placing his hand on the Padawans shoulder. "You'll make a fine Jedi one day, Nasra."

"Thank you… Master." The Padawan thanked, smiling slightly. If he could be half the Jedi his mother was, he knew he'd have turned out alright.

"Now," Orgus began with a release of a breath as he began walking out the door. "If I'm going to be taking you into a combat situation, I need to see what you can do. Follow me."

As Nasra followed his new Master through the ancient corridors of the temple, he was reminded of the sheer mass of species that called this place home as they brushed past him in a seemingly organised chaos. The common species of the galaxy were in abundance, as well as one or two he couldn't recognise. He'd been all over the galaxy. He'd interacted with societies like the Mandalorian clans all the way to the Witches of Dathomir and felt himself reasonably learned in species, but this… this drove home just how large and diverse the Jedi Order was.

They traversed a number of levels and corridors to the point where Nasra was completely lost when they stumbled upon a particularly large training room full of Padawans training with their Masters. He was thankful for the loud noises of dozens of training sabers clashing against one another drowning out their entrance into the room.

Without missing a beat, Orgus had walked over to a rack and removed a handful of various weapons and devices from the wall. Nasra felt his eyes briefly scan over them – he could spot a pair of standard lightsaber hilts and what appeared to be a saberstaff hilt mixed in with them. Unconsciously, Nasra felt his eyes bulge slightly – he'd never been permitted to use a saberstaff due to his offensive and unorthodox style, the Masters that had taught him combat had claimed that he was walking a far too dangerous path using his Juyo style.

With a simple wave of his arm, Orgus sent the saberstaff flying over to him as he placed the others down. "We'll work through the different variants to see where you're strongest." The Master announced as he thumbed the activation switch for his own training saber.

Silently, Nasra nodded as he thumbed his own hilt – watching as the twin yellow blades sprang to life from either end of the hilt. He smirked slightly, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hands as he spun it experimentally around his body before bringing it to a stop and holding it in a low guard just behind his body.

Nasra leapt first and landed on the offensive, spinning his blade around his body, attempting to probe his Masters defences. While training sabers weren't lethal for obvious reason, they delivered a shock upon contact. He was determined to impress and refused to settle for second place.

Orgus' defence was perfect. If he hadn't parried a blow, he was evading. Only once had Nasra even come close to striking him though was quickly put on the defensive as he realised almost too late that it was a feint. Ducking low under a horizontal slash, Nasra spun his blade high attempting to catch the Master off balance. He was disappointed when the orange blade of Din's lightsaber caught his easily.

This was easily one of the more testing of his duelling sessions that he'd experienced and he was loving it. Usually he was paired with another Padawan, but over the years he'd felt them less and less of a challenge. While many Jedi had an offensive style, the Order still believed as a whole that Juyo was a far too aggressive form – as a result many Padawans were unprepared for the ferocity that he would attack with. He found himself pleasantly surprised when this Master he'd been paired with had begun to you his own form against him, testing his defensive abilities.

With another quick drop to the mat, Nasra de-activated his lightsaber and rolled past his Master. With a quick snap of his feet, he heard Orgus Din come crashing to the mat as his lightsaber fell out his hand. With a grin, the saberstaff was tossed to the side and a fresh hilt slapped into his awaiting palm.

Spinning with the momentum of the hilt landing in his hand, the blade snapped to life and he began a renewed attack on the momentarily stunned Master. The fight had lasted for quite a period of time already, yet Nasra felt no fatigue as he sunk himself into the currents of the Force as he usually did – trusting it to guide his movements. He grinned, feeling the connecting lightsabers crash against each other as each duellist attempted to over-power the other.

With a small leap, Nasra jumped into the air – landing behind his Master and brought his saber down on his flank. He was moderately surprised when he heard the grunt of the Master taking a small electrical surge in the area he was struck in.

He stopped suddenly, switching off the lightsaber as he watched his Master recover – grimacing slightly.

"Well," Orgus chuckled, rubbing his back slightly, "I can see your combat skills weren't exaggerated."

"I'm sorry Master, I hadn't meant to injure you." Nasra apologised, placing the hilt back in the pile. He was shocked once more to hear the Master let out a hearty chuckle as he joined him by the pile.

"Don't be! I haven't had a duel like that in years! Now, I suppose now I've seen your skills with that lightsaber for myself I can justify taking you out into the field."

Nasra smiled in return.

"Now, when Tython was first rediscovered," Orgus began once he placed the hilts back on the rack and led the way out of the Temple, "the Twi'leks petitioned the Senate to settle here. Their claim was denied – too dangerous – but they came anyway. The Twi'leks have a settlement in the mountains. That's your next stop. Speak to the Matriarch. Find out everything they know about the Flesh Raiders." By the time Orgus had explained everything, they were stood in the main chamber in the centre of the Temple.

"Yes Master. Should I let them know you're coming?"

"Yes. I'll be delayed a little bit, but I'll meet you up there. May the Force be with you." Orgus smiled before he began heading to the Council chambers. Nasra nodded to his retreating back and began his walk to the garage.

* * *

The village was simple and quaint. Settled between a pair of large mountains it offered perfect shelter against the elements and was in a good defensible position if the natives decided to attack.

He pulled in his speeder slowly, kicking up a little dust and drawing an audience of confused and startled Twi'leks. He assumed that due to them settling illegally on the planet, the Senate had decreed the Jedi would be forbidden from assisting them. He despised the beurocracy that was the Senate sometimes. If people needed the Jedi for protection, then they were entitled to ask for it. The Jedi were there to protect – not abandon.

A female Twi'lek that looked a generous number of decades older than himself began to walk through the crowd as they parted before her reverently. He noticed for the first time that they were all wearing a weapon. Nasra's weapon hand twitched but fought the urge to palm his hilt.

"Greetings, Matriarch. Master Orgus Din sent me to assist you with the Flesh Raiders. I'm Padawan Nasra Shan." He introduced himself, bowing in respect and adopting an easy smile.

The aged Twi'lek frowned, the bags beneath her eyes dipping as she did. It wasn't an attractive sight if he were to be honest with himself. This woman hadn't aged gracefully at all. "So, the Jedi finally deign to recognise my people's suffering? How noble." She sneered, providing him a glimpse at a mouth with barely any teeth left. This woman must have been ancient indeed. "Nothing to do with the attack on your training grounds, I'm sure."

Nasra frowned at that, clasping his hands behind his back, "We admit, we didn't realise how great the threat was."

"And now you seek help from the people you once ignored." The Matriarch frowned. Nasra lowered his head slightly. This woman was proving particularly difficult, though she had made a valid point. His head shot up when he heard her continue, "My scouts have tracked the Flesh Raiders for months. Watched them grow in strength. I am willing to share the information we have, but only if you agree to protect my people. We… we suffer…" The Matriarch suddenly stumbled forward and began to fall. If it weren't for his Jedi reflexes, she would surely have landed in the dirt. As it was, Nasra caught her in his arms and lifted her. He looked to one of the Twi'leks stood watching the scene.

"Which way to her quarters?"

"U-uh, this way Jedi." The Twi'lek announced, hurrying off and beckoning the Jedi to follow. The Matriarchs breaths were coming in short raspy breaths. A young female with green skin much like the Matriarch herself followed in Nasra's shadow – her daughter no doubt.

Within moments, Nasra was placing the settlement elder into her bed while her daughter injected her with a syringe. The effect was immediate as the Matriarchs breathing suddenly became clear again.

"Mother, you need rest. Let me carry this burden for you." The daughter offered, earning a weary nod. The younger Twi'lek beckoned the Padawan to follow her outside. Once in what appeared to be an eating area, Nasra spoke up.

"Your Matriarch appears ill. Does she need a Healer?"

The Twi'lek smiled at him thankfully, "Thank you, but we have our own. My name is Ranna Tao'Ven. Scout Chief and I shall speak for my mother."

"Personally," A voice chimed in from behind him, "I don't care why you've come – as long as you destroy the Flesh Raiders. Ever since they got their new weapons and gear, they've hunted us like animals. The Raiders have a camp down in the valley. My scouts say they store their weapons and other tech in a cave." A scarred, yellow skinned Twi'lek male announced, coming into the room and leaning against the wall casually.

"So if I take out that weaponry, it'll neutralise the Raiders?" Nasra asked, frowning. He crossed his arms over his chest.

"We need to strike fear into the Flesh Raiders. Sabotage their weapons. Fix it so that they blow up in their ugly faces…" The male spat. Nasra was beginning to think his judgement may have been clouded.

"How would we do that?" Ranna asked, stepping forward and mirroring Nasra's stance.

"Their technology is standard Republic design. We could overload the power circuits and plasma coils. I'll even show you how to do it…" The stranger offered before Nasra held up a hand.

"I won't cause random damage that could harm non-combatants." Nasra announced, waving a hand in the strangers direction as he took a few steps away and turned his back to the two locals as he pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking.

"Sabotage would thin the Flesh Raiders numbers and eliminate the technological advantage!" The stranger argued as he walked towards Nasra. Stretching out with his feelings, Nasra could almost taste the anger and hatred that was flowing from the yellow Twi'lek.

"But," The green skinned Ranna offered, seemingly placating the scout for the moment, "if you brought that technology here… we could defend ourselves."

Nasra nodded slowly, his back still facing the pair. "I noticed on my approach, you have too many blind spots in your perimeter. Those weapons could help you."

"This debate is pointless unless you can get inside that cave. You'll need a chieftain's access key." The male supplied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Find the Flesh Raider technology and do what you think is best. Good luck, Master Jedi." Ranna smiled, bowing low – her green lekku twitching slightly at the movement.

Nasra nodded and pulled up the hood of his tunic as he left the small building, frowning slightly as the sun caught his eyes when he stepped outside. He took a deep breath as he paused for a moment, casting his gaze across the quaint village. Here and there, people were rushing about their daily duties but the fear of another Flesh Raider attack was still palpable within the air.

His strong, confident stride took him back to his speeder within moments and a few heartbeats later he was soaring into the mountains to the North where he sensed a great deal of anger and hatred.

* * *

The mountains were beautiful for saying how high up he was. He smiled slightly as he landed, despite the reason he had for being here. If he were here under different circumstances, he had no doubt that it'd be a much more relaxing activity.

As he stepped from the bike, he looked around for any signs of the Raiders. There were none. He sensed eyes upon him, but couldn't pinpoint them. He frowned. The Flesh Raiders knew the territory much better than he ever would and that placed them at an advantage.

Suddenly, he felt a flare of danger and he snapped his lightsaber to life and raised it just in time to deflect a blaster bolt back in the direction it came from. There was the sound of a wet slap and a gurgled gasp before he spotted the body of a large Flesh Raider fall from a high up ledge.

Night was beginning to fall now, and the danger would only increase the longer he stayed in the open. He deflected a trio of bolts that at him from all directions as he thought. A Raider charged him from the side as he batted the third back into a rock face. With a simple gesture of his hand, the Raider was thrown back into the cliff and was crushed by a handful of rocks that came crashing down on it.

Suddenly, an idea sprung into his mind. They couldn't track him and present a danger if they couldn't follow him. A dull thud sounded behind him followed by a shrill beep. A spike of fear went through him as he channelled the Force into his legs and leapt as far away as he could, switching off his lightsaber as he did so.

He landed on the far side of the clearing in a shadow cast from the cliff above him. He watched as the dull thump of a grenade going off below his speeder caused a large billow of flame to explode into the sky, sending shrapnel in all directions.

He grimaced as he already began to imagine the reprimand his mother and Orgus would give him for destruction of Temple property. He sighed. First, he had to survive the assignment. With a powerful leap, he landed on the top of the cliff he'd been stood under as he watched the Raiders approach the inferno, inspecting it for a corpse.

With a quick spin, he channelled the Force into his legs and took off at an unnatural speed that could rival some of the most powerful speeders on the market.


	4. Chapter 4

The wind whipped at the hood that shielded his face from the cold as he lay on his stomach on a ledge above the camp below. With the night sky full of the light from distant planets, the small fires below lit his face up slightly.

The Flesh Raiders had picked a good camp. The camp was only accessible from one direction between a gap in the canyon and the only other option was to drop from a cliff edge almost a hundred feet above it. Even up here in the mountains of Tython, the air was becoming cold and thin – he had to hand it to the Raiders, they were a hardy species.

He shifted his weight slightly, removing a stone that had been pressing into his side uncomfortably for the last hour. Frowning, he cast his gaze once more upon that of the camp as males and females went about their routines. He could even spot a child or two. If there was any conflict, he would have to be extremely careful which put him at a disadvantage. Stealth was his only option.

Three hours ago a hunting party had left just as he got into position – hopefully with the stars out now for the last four hours, he would see them return soon. If they used the blasters he spotted on their belts, then they would no doubt go into one of the number of cave entrances he could see. He'd already determined the Chieftains tent with relative ease.

A commotion on the far side of the camp drew his attention to a group of six Raiders returning with the carcass of some creature – a Krakja alpha. While half the group dragged the carcass into the camp, the others began heading to one of the caves and the Chieftain was still in his tent – had been for the last 45 minutes. This was his chance.

He stood slowly, not caring about the dirt on his robes. He'd clean them back in his quarters. Stepping off the edge of the cliff, he focused his energies on slowing in descent as the ground approached him rapidly. Normally, this would be an attempt at suicide but with his command of the Force, he could minimise any damage.

He landed with a gentle thud, kicking up a small amount of dust in a section of the camp that was slightly darker than the rest. Double checking his lightsaber was securely attached to his hip, he began tracing the path to the Chieftains tent.

The sounds of life from the inner confines of the camp covered his approach as he kept low. Sticking to the shadows, he snuck from tent to tent, waiting for patrols to pass him by or some sound to quieten down from the interior of the tents he was currently at. Mere metres from his destination, he threw his body backwards into a nearby shadow as he almost ran face first into a Flesh Raider child. His eyes wide, he watched as the child stopped for a moment as it sniffed the air and looked directly at him. Could they see better in the dark than humans? Was their sense of smell better?

One heartbeat. Two heartbeats. He waited, frozen in place lest he give himself away.

The child ran off laughing.

Letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, he stood once more and made his way to the rear of the largest tent – the one with the Chieftain inside. Placing his ear to the dried skin that made up the material of the tent itself, he strained his hearing to discern any sounds from within. There were none.

Carefully removing his combat knife from the sheath strapped to his right foot, Nasra quickly made a pair of slashes into the skin and stepped through as quietly as possible. Stood there, waiting with what appeared to be a lightsaber hilt strapped to its belt like a trophy was the Chieftain, towering over the Padawan. As the Raider drew in a large breath, no doubt to raise the alarm Nasra had to act. He couldn't allow the Raider to give him away and jeopardize the mission. His eyes scanned the Chieftains body in an instant, assessing strengths and weaknesses – it was pure muscle. Any physical altercation would spin wildly out of control and he refused to endanger the women and children.

With a flick of his arm, he raised his hand and extended his reach in the force to focus on the creature before him – focusing his attention on the throat. The Raider began to choke and Nasra had to make a decision. If left alive, the Raiders would retaliate with the knowledge it was a Jedi that incapacitated their leader – possibly leading to more Flesh Raider attacks against the Order and possibly by proxy the Twi'leks. He couldn't allow that. With a whispered apology, Nasra clenched his fist and snapped the Chieftains neck – killing it quickly so as to minimise the suffering.

Nasra collapsed to his knees where he stood, feeling the disgust well up within him. He'd just done what the Jedi taught should never be done. He'd drawn on the Force to specifically lash out and kill something. He held the power within himself to kill with only a simple gesture, to be detached from the kill itself. Jedi were taught to only ever act in self-defence. Would that Raider have called for help? Perhaps it had just wanted to speak. He'd never know.

He sobbed, doubling over. His insides burned painfully and his eyes felt as if they were melting. He wanted to scream, but no sound came – just a strangled cry of pain. His hands were trembling as he pawed the corpse, willing it back to life. This was by no means his first kill, but it was the first he could have avoided. He pushed himself away from the still warm body, crawling back to the far side of the tent and lent back on the support beam behind him and continued to feel the effects of what he'd done.

He didn't know how long he'd been there, but slowly as the time passed he began to calm down – or was perhaps too exhausted to continue and managed to somewhat pull himself together. Sniffing and blinking the tears from his eyes, he crawled towards the corpse – still warm and no discernible evidence that this Raider hadn't died in its sleep. Placing his hands reverently on the Raiders chest, Nasra mumbled an apology and stood – palming the stolen lightsaber and what appeared to be an access key as he did so. With a calming breath, Nasra extended his reach in the Force and gently lifted the Raider to the small bed on the western side of the tent and laid the creature down.

With one last look into the tent as he left, Nasra whispered an apology and began to make his way to the cave he'd spotted earlier. He still had a mission to complete.

* * *

The cave had been dark, which had only aided Nasra in his infiltration. Re-attaching the lightsabers to his utility belt, he frowned at what sat before him. A large Durasteel crate that was almost over-flowing with weapons of some kind or another. Peering in slightly further, Nasra thought he could even spot a Permacrete detonator. That could do some damage in the wrong hands.

He sighed, placing his hands on his hips as he looked at the crate before him. He could destroy it, but the Twi'leks would still be in trouble. He turning his head this way and that, Nasra sought for a solution. Could there be a hover-sled in this room of seemingly random bits of tech?

A low, almost sad whistle caught his attention to his left. As he began to approach where the sound came from, he heard the same whistle only happier it seemed. A box fell over as a T7 series Astromech droid, its silver and golden coloured casing appearing slightly dented and worse for wear but the purple 'eye' of the droid still shone brightly.

"And who would you be?" Nasra asked the small droid, crouching down and stoking the machine affectionately on the 'head'.

"T7 = glad to see Jedi! / / T7 = captured by Flesh Raiders + needs rescuing!" The little droid chirped, causing Nasra to smile slightly. He had fond memories of a similar droid that his mother used some years ago for a number of assignments – he'd always be thankful that Theron had taught him to understand Astromechs.

"Don't worry little guy. I'll get you out of here."

"Jedi = T7's hero! T7 = Jedi reconnaissance droid / / Mission parameters = scout wilderness + identify hazards. T7's restraining bolt = faulty + malfunctioning / / T7's sensors = unable to detect Flesh Raider ambush."

"Well, at least they don't eat little droids." Nasra chuckled, earning a digital raspberry in response. He grinned at that. So, this little Astromech had a personality – he loved it already.

"T7 = simulated deactivation + used spy camera / / T7 = recorded Flesh Raider allies!" That started alarm bells in Nasra's head. He frowned, standing as he looked back from where he'd come from. He sighed, having one more issue he had to deal with.

"Alright, let's get that restraining bolt removed. Do you still have your armaments?" Nasra asked as he bent down and pried the offending bolt away and nodded at the Droids affirmative whistle. "Okay, well here's the plan. You're going to use your tow-cable to pull that crate over there and I'll call for a pick-up. Can you do that for me little guy?"

"Jedi + T7 = unstoppable!"

"That's what I like to hear, Teeseven. Alright, I'll let you sort yourself out while I call for some help."

* * *

The village was in a state of celebration when Nasra and Teeseven finally made it back in a two-seater speeder taken from the Temple's garage. With Nasra piloting it into a smooth landing, the Astromech next to him was beeping and whistling in excitement. As Nasra landed the speeder with a gentle bump, he watched as he saw men, women and children dancing and celebrating their small victory all around him.

He smiled slightly as he hopped out the vehicle once he powered down the engines. With a casual raise of his right hand, he lifted Teeseven until it was safe for the droid to activate his propulsion jets built into the 'legs' he moved on.

For saying how early in the day it was, he was surprised to see so many Twi'leks throwing back cup after cup – sometimes the entire bottle of various galactic alcohols. He frowned slightly but decided against saying anything aloud.

A gentle series of noises from his right drew his attention from the celebrations as he looked down at the silver and golden plates of his new friend by his hip. "Yes Teeseven, Master Orgus should be here by now."

With Teeseven loyally following the young Jedi, the pair began the short walk to the central building of the Twi'leks of this settlement, weaving between the crowds and stepping around racing children. Once, twice, three times Nasra was barged into or knocked to the side slightly by some inebriated fool. He couldn't really blame them though. For so long, they'd lived in fear of Flesh Raider attacks – but now they had the tools to defend themselves.

The building was a stark contrast to the partying atmosphere the rest of the village seemed to have. Rather than the sounds of celebration, there was the sounds of angry yelling – the Force was awash in pain. Something had happened.

Pushed the door open slightly, Nasra entered the building making sure to keep the door wide enough for Teeseven to enter through. The sounds of the yelling were getting louds the further towards the back of the building he approached, luckily he could sense his Master. Letting out a sigh, Nasra finally found the room where the pain was originating from and had to duck as he entered – narrowly missing a dish that had been angrily thrown against the wall.

"She died in my arms! You should have seen what those filth did to her!" A blue skinned male screamed, tears running down his face as she directed his anger between Ranna and his Master.

"I'm sorry, Saylew. We all share your loss." Ranna said, attempting to console the grieving widower. He didn't know if it was the anger in the room that he'd walked into, or just the angle he was stood at, but suddenly Ranna appeared very small indeed.

"For every one of us the Flesh Raiders butcher, we should kill ten! No, a hundred!" Saylew demanded, throwing another dish. Nasra took this opportunity to approach his Masters side. Orgus nodded to him politely before directing his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Will that restore your loved one to life?" Orgus frowned, attempting to calm the angry Twi'lek.

Saylew snarled, spinning on his heel and angrily approaching the aging Jedi as he jabbed a finger into Orgus' chest. To the Masters credit, he didn't flinch once. "Don't lecture me, Jedi. My wife is dead! Our people, slaughtered! Where were you then?"

"Nothing we say will ever help your grieving, but we're trying to help." Nasra supplied, drawing the infuriated Saylew's gaze.

"What about exterminating those animals? The Flesh Raiders won't stop until we're all dead. Are you going to let that happen?"

Nasra frowned, noticing Orgus' gaze on him and the particular way the Twi'lek had demanded his answer. "I promise I'll help defend you as much as I'm able… but I won't commit genocide."

Saylew snorted, pushing past the two Jedi aggressively, "We'll see what a Jedi's promise is worth."

When the door slammed behind him, everyone in the room was silent for a moment, each person attempting to collect their scattered thoughts into some semblance of sense.

"I hope you can fulfil your pledge. I fear he won't take disappointment well." Orgus sighed, walking to gently seat himself in a chair at a nearby table. He shook his head sadly. "People wonder why Jedi are forbidden to marry or have families. They don't see how attachments always lead to suffering. Passionate emotions can destroy a person – and Jedi destroyed by passion become something terrible."

Nasra frowned, expecting this to come up at some point. At least his Master wasn't particularly subtle. "I disagree, Master. I'm direct proof that Jedi can have attachments and not be destroyed."

"And what would she have done, had she known what happened at the camp, hmm?" Orgus asked. Nasra felt all the blood leave his face. His legs became weak and he had to quickly sit down lest he collapse before his Master. He hadn't realised he'd projected so strongly into the Force that his Master had felt it… was Orgus even sure his mother hadn't felt it?

"I…" Nasra tried, suddenly feeling his throat constrict once more. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. Reciting the Jedi Code in his head, he began to feel calmer but the grief didn't leave him. "I ended up in a difficult position. The camps were full of families. Males, females… children. I had to infiltrate the camp, gain a Chieftains access key. I made it to the Chieftains tent, but when I got inside it was about to raise the alarm. I refused to risk open combat and potentially risk none combatants. I broke its neck with the Force." Nasra confessed, burying his face in his hands. His Master was silent for what felt like an age. Would he be expelled from the Order? Would he find himself in the Jedi Service Corps?

"The life of a Jedi is often difficult." Orgus began, letting out a sigh. "I'm not saying what you did was right, or should ever be repeated… but you saved more lives that you took. Just… never lash out with the Force again. Our code is the only thing that sometimes separates us from the Sith."

Nasra nodded numbly. He had nothing to say. What could he say?

"Now, I see you've made a new friend." Orgus announced, looking at the quiet little droid with a kind smile. Teeseven approached the two with a friendly beep.

"T7 = salutes Master Orgus / / T7 reconnaissance report = ready for delivery."

"Teeseven was captured by the Flesh Raiders. You'll want the holorecording he made. He's a resourceful little droid. I also found this lightsaber on the Chieftain." Nasra supplied, patting the diminutive droid on the dome that was its 'head' as he passed the hilt over to his Master.

"Alright, let's see it then." Orgus nodded, turning his attention to where Teeseven's holoprojector displayed the first image, frozen in time.

With a small click, the image of a Nautolan Jedi with his hood pulled up, the Force user Nasra had defeated and a pair of Flesh Raider Chieftains began to move and converse. " _Teach our soldiers how to use these weapons. Train them on the Twi'lek invaders._ "

" _When will we strike against the Jedi?_ " The blue image of the Force user asked impatiently, the two Chieftains shifting from foot to foot behind him.

" _Patience, Callef. The Jedi will fall when our army reaches full strength. Once your attack on the Training Grounds is complete, meet me at the ruins of the Lightsaber Forge._ " The Nautolan commanded, walking out of shot.

Nasra turned his head to his Master who seemed to have gone paler than any creature he'd seen in his life. "Master?" Nasra questioned, frowning. Teeseven let out a worried series of beeps in agreement.

Orgus was silent for another few moment, just blankly staring at the spot where the image had been. Eventually, he seemed to have found his voice, "Nasra, I want you to go and assist Master Kiwiks and her Padawan setting up some monitoring devices around the ruins of Kaleth. I'll transmit the co-ordinates to you when you leave…"

Nasra shot up from his seat, almost knocking it over, "What?!" He exclaimed, "We know where the mastermind behind this entire plot is, and you're sending me off to do some menial task that we both know Kiwik's own Padawan is more than qualified to do on her own! So I'm doing this while you're what, taking this stranger on with no backup?" Nasra demanded, insulted and hurt that his Master didn't trust him to take care of himself.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do. This man is my responsibility, and mine alone. Now go, Padawan." Orgus ordered, standing and looking Nasra directly in the eye. Nasra stayed for a moment or two, frowning at the older Jedi. Could Orgus not see that two Jedi would be better than one in this situation? Finally relenting, Nasra spun on his heel and left the older Jedi and droid behind him.

* * *

The ruins of Kaleth were ancient, crumbling pieces of rock from when the Jedi Order was first founded on Tython. From the sky, you'd barely be able to see anything of the ruins themselves due to the jungle having reclaimed the land millennia ago. As he walked through the ruins, he stepped over rusted droids whose power cores had failed hundreds of years ago. Some appeared to have been destroyed recently by either training blades or lightsabers. He spotted one impaled on a tree branch, still sparking.

Someone had come through here recently.

The world suddenly seemed quieter than it should have. No longer were the birds chirping high up in the treetops. Something was wrong, very wrong.

An explosion further into the ruins shook the ground he was standing on as he spotted the fireball shoot up into the sky ahead of him. Pushing off, Nasra set off at a sprint leaping over debris and sometimes entire walls. The closer he got, the more he could hear. The sounds of blasters and lightsabers were clear to his ears. If there were fellow Jedi here, he needed to move to assist them.

He ran for another few seconds, hearing the commotion around the next corner. As he turned the corner however, he growled in frustration at the dead end he'd run into. He looked around for any solutions to his problem to jump out at him. He could leap over because there was a five story building intact above him. The only two solutions were to both work through the ruins and find another path which would take too long, or to blast through the wall itself.

He sighed, deciding to blast through the wall – he couldn't very well leave a potentially outnumbered Jedi on their own for an unknown amount of time. He began breathing in and out slowly, gathering as much of his power into him as he could. These walls were thick and sturdy to have survived the elements for as long as they had. While gathering the Force into himself, he made a point of pushing out with his Force Signature. Each beings signature was unique, especially between Force Sensitives – any Jedi on the far side would clearly sense him and would prepare themselves accordingly.

He made a motion of pulling his hands upwards and into his chest as he opened his eyes slowly. His hands trembled with the unprecedented power that he was barely containing. Gentle wisps of smoke twisted and turned around his extremities and the closer he brought his hands to his chest, the more violent they became. With a grunt, he pushed out with everything he had, blowing the wall outwards in an explosion of rock and smoke. Without wasting a heartbeat, Nasra palmed his lightsaber and with the satisfying snap-hiss, the blue blade extended. He stood there for a moment, waiting for the smoke to clear.

A Flesh Raider pulled itself up, looking around for the prey it had been hunting prior to Nasra's entrance. The creature snarled, revealing dozens upon dozens of razor sharp teeth. "Jeehd-ay…"

Nasra paused, frowning. "Did you just call me a 'Jedi'?"

The Flesh Raider chuckled before raising a blaster rifle and letting off a series of shots that were mimicked by the four other Raiders spread out around it.

Nasra reacted immediately, bringing his blade up to deflect the bolts. His lightsaber created an impenetrable defence, deflecting a series of the bolts into the face of one of the Raiders. Nasra darted forwards, ducking under two bolts and leaping over a third. He spun in the air, bringing the blade down across a Raiders chest before he raised his hand and pulled another past him with so much force that the creature seemingly exploded against the wall it impacted. The final Raider, the one that had called him a Jedi charged him blindly as it pulled a crude axe from its back. It swung the blade at his throat, which Nasra easily ducked below before twirling out of the evasion and slicing through the Raider at the hip. The Raider collapsed in two pieces on the forest floor, dead before it knew what had happened.

"If you hadn't broadcast your signature, we'd have been in trouble for sure." The voice of Bela Kiwiks announced as she and her Padawan dropped from a nearby tree.

De-activating his lightsaber, Nasra turned to face the Togruta Master with a thoughtful frown, "One of the Flesh Raiders called me a Jedi…"

"It could use the Force too." Kiwiks added, nodding. "It seems these are not the mindless creatures we had thought them to be. It's troubling. If the Flesh Raiders now command the Force, it won't be for the side of the light."

"You sure made short work of this bunch. You ever leave survivors?" Kiwik's Padawan asked. Now that Nasra turned to look at her, she seemed remarkably different from the Council meeting he'd seen her in. Back then, she'd been dressed in an unremarkable brown robe. Now she was clothed in the robes generally associated with the Shadows of the Order. Her robes were dark, almost black that hugged her slender, athletic form while a white sash stretching from her left shoulder that fell to her right hip where it was tucked into her belt. Her hood was pushed back, revealing a pale slender neck and an even more mesmerising face full of youth. Her smirk drew him from his wandering mind and he cleared his throat as he looked around at the carnage he'd created.

"They attacked and I reacted. I didn't want to kill them though…" Nasra sighed, looking down at his feet for a moment. He attached his hilt back to his belt as he looked back up to the other two Jedi.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything. Mouth gets ahead of my brains…" The Padawan apologised, the regret on her face clear to see.

While the two conversed between themselves, Kiwiks had walked past Nasra to the Raider he'd cut in two. Something had caught her attention and as Nasra turned to look at her, he noticed what had caught her eye. "It seems this Flesh Raider was carrying a holocron. Thousands of years old by the looks of it. It seems we were wrong in assuming they were simple. The Flesh Raiders are learning how to fight us."

"Master Orgus has gone to confront who's behind it." Nasra frowned, folding his arms across his chest. Kiwiks looked at him in surprise.

"I'm surprised he hasn't taken you with him, given the events that have led you here."

"I was just as surprised, Master. I've been sent here to assist in setting up monitoring devices in the ruins."

"We'd finished that just before we were ambushed." The Padawan announced, running her hands through her thick red hair. Her Master nodded beside her.

"Indeed. I wish we could stay and assist you and Master Orgus, but Master Satele – your mother, has ordered us to Coruscant on an assignment.

"All those bad feelings the Councils been having? She thinks the Republic capital is the source."

Nasra nodded at the two of them, just as his communicator began to beep. Palming the device and activating it, he noticed with some surprise that it was Ranna from the Twi'lek village that was contacting him.

" _Jedi, thank goodness! The man leading the Flesh Raiders is here! He's cutting down everyone! He-he's a Jedi! Help, please!_ " Just as she screamed that last part, the feed cut out in static. Nasra looked up in alarm at the two Jedi with him.

"Go, I'm sure Master Orgus will be there still. Protect the settlers from this threat. I'm sorry that we must leave you, but I believe in you Nasra Shan." Master Kiwiks announced, placing a comforting hand on both shoulders of his. Nasra felt his breathing coming quicker and quicker. There were non-combatants in that village. Women and children. He had to help!

"Thank you Master. Good luck on Coruscant and may the Force be with us all." Nasra replied, bowing his head slightly as he took off in a sprint through the trees to where he'd parked his speeder.

* * *

The village was quiet, almost lifeless – but there were no signs of battle. Had the Twi'leks been over-run so quickly they couldn't even defend themselves?

Nasra didn't bother to bring the speeder in smoothly. He leapt out the vehicle and sprinted to the central building where Ranna had first taken him. His eyes scanned every surface, every dent in the walls. Where were all the corpses?

He charged through into the rear room where he'd last seen Master Orgus and Teeseven. They had to be alright – Master Orgus was a Jedi Master after all!

The sight he arrived at wasn't one that he was expecting to find. Sat there at her mother's desk was Ranna, scanning through what appeared to be various reports. "What's going on? Where is everyone? Where are the Raiders?" Nasra demanded, looking around the room.

Ranna spun around, surprise written all across her face. "What are you talking about?"

"I responded to your distress call, what's happened?" Nasra asked, walking further into the room. He could sense… nothing. Nothing at all.

"Nothing. We didn't send any distress call. Everything's been quiet since you left." Ranna replied, placing a datapad in her pocket. Nasra didn't like the way she refused to meet his eyes. Something was wrong.

Teeseven took that moment to roll through the door, screaming and running into a nearby wall as every tool the droid apparently possessed pulsed with an electrical overcharge. The droid fell over with a sad tone. Immediately, Nasra turned to the door the droid came from as his lightsaber slapped into his awaiting palm. The blade snapped to life and he stood ready. Just as he began to hear the sound of approaching footsteps, something sharp impacted his neck – a dart of some kind. Despite his Jedi training against toxins, Nasra felt the substance already coursing through his system.

He collapsed to his knees, his lightsaber falling from his grasp as it de-activated. He groaned and the sounds of the world felt like they were coming from such a long way away. He had to fight the drug, had to defend himself and Teeseven whom he could see was still pulsing with an electrical overload. Before he could try and push himself up, he felt another dart in his neck and the world slipped into blackness.


	5. Chapter 5

Slowly, his senses returned. He felt a sharp stinging sensation in his neck where he'd been shot. Attempting to reach it, to check for any swelling or perhaps another dart proved useless however as he discovered his arms to be tied down to something.

Gradually, he began to open his eyes – though he wished he hadn't. He hissed in pain under his breath as the harsh light of the room glared down at him from a ceiling light above him. Closing his eyes once more and counting to three, he re-opened them and was satisfied to notice there was no pain this time. He looked around – he was in a bedroom of sorts, tied to the bed.

He strained against his bonds – Krakja leather from the looks of it and frowned when he couldn't break them. He growled. Normally such things would have been trivial with a little help from the Force, but his muscles were left weak from the sedative he was attacked with.

His mind was ablaze with questions. Where was he? Who had shot him? Were the Twi'leks alright? Where was his Master? He growled once more and defiantly stared at the ceiling. He paused for a moment, straining his hearing. There! Outside the room, people were arguing. A male and a female from the sound of it. Who were they? What did they want with him?

He sighed, pushing the questions out of his mind. He had to free himself or he would be useless to everyone. He sunk his head into the simple pillow and began a simple breathing exercise. Reaching out with his senses, he began the simple task of waking himself up in both mind and body. He grasped at his command in the Force and exerted it as much as he could. His mother had always told him at a young age that the Force was akin to a muscle. The more you used it, the more feats you could accomplish – or something like that.

A small smile worked its way onto his lips as he felt the bed rise from the floor slightly. He sharpened his senses now to focus on the straps holding his arms down. He sensed them in the Force, the imprint of a life buried deep within. Carefully, he manipulated the straps to come undone and with a pair of gentle clicks, the restraints fell away. He withdrew from the Force and felt the gentle thud of the bed coming back down to rest on the floor.

It must have alarmed whomever was outside, as not three seconds later, the duo barged through the door. Nasra kept his eyes closed, waiting for the two to come within striking range. He had no time to find his lightsaber and as such would have to fight with no weapon until he could find one.

Their footsteps were slow, cautious. But then a voice called out from the entry way, "Stop it! What are you doing?"

It was Ranna.

"Ranna, we're doing this for the good of the village. This Padawan has to die." The familiar voice of the Chief Scout replied harshly.

"I told you to leave him alone! That was the pact!" Ranna replied, now coming fully into the room. He sensed her stand between the duo that had entered earlier and himself – not a position he wanted her in.

"Bengel Morr refused your terms. This is to save our people!" The Scout Chief shot back, pulling what Nasra thought was his weapon from its holster. He had to remind himself not to react – if he were to escape this situation, they would have to be taken by surprise.

Heavy footsteps came closer – the male. So the Scout Chief was going to kill him himself? That made things somewhat simpler.

Nasra shot up to his feet, using the back of his hand to swat the Chief Scouts blaster to the side where the discharged shot caught the other Twi'lek that had entered with him in the shoulder. The Scout dropped to the floor with a dull thud, groaning incoherently. With a quick push with his other hand, Nasra spun and ripped the offending blaster from the Chief's hand. With the Chief Scout now off-balance, Nasra stepped into the Twi'leks personal space and punched him squarely in the chest. He felt the snapping of ribs as his hand impacted. The Twi'lek crumpled to the floor just the same as his companion.

Nasra spun to face Ranna, the blaster levelled at her centre mass. "Who's Bengel Morr and where's my Master?"

The green Twi'lek raised her hands slowly, a look of sorrow on her face, "Bengel Morr is the Jedi that commands the Flesh Raiders. He attacked us as I called you. No shots were fired and nobody was hurt. He took everyone captive and told us to kill you when you returned – but I said no. I told him we'd keep you here." Ranna confessed, dropping to her knees before the Padawan. "You would be safe, and when Bengel returned my people… we'd have a protector."

Nasra frowned, his anger welling up within him. He took a moment to recite the Code in his head…

There is no emotion. There is no emotion. There is no emotion.

"If we don't do what we're told, Bengel Morr will kill us all." The Scout Chief groaned from the floor, attempting to stand back up. With a quick swipe of his foot, Nasra took the Chief's feet right out from under him once more.

"Bengel Morr is a monster. This is the same man that attacked the Padawan training grounds. It was full of _Padawans_! _Younglings_! Do you know how many injured I saw? Some were no older than ten lifedays! When he's done using you, he'll kill you all." Nasra growled. The sight of the training grounds becoming a warzone had stuck with him. It had all looked so peaceful when he was coming in to land.

"Don't resist. It'll only make things-"The Chief Scout began, pulling what looked like a small holdout blaster from his back. He barely raised it in Nasra's direction before the Padawan turned the blaster and discharged it into the Chief Scouts chest. The Twi'lek slumped back into the furniture he'd been leaning against as his chest let off little wisps of smoke and his eyes stared into the distance.

Ranna screamed, quickly covering her mouth with her hands. She trembled uncontrollably and Nasra walked up to her, dropping to a knee before her.

"Why didn't they listen to me?" Ranna cried, grasping Nasra's robe and burying her face into his armoured shoulder. Nasra froze for a moment before gently patting the woman on her back. Her body shook with sobs. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I was going to save you – save us all."

"You were going to help a madman strike against the Jedi." Nasra reminded the shocked woman. He pushed his hair off his face and leaned back, away from the woman. "You gave my Master to the enemy." Nasra added with a slight snarl.

"No!" Ranna cried, placing her hands on the Jedi's chest, "He left before the attack! You can still save him!"

"Then where is Bengel Morr?" Nasra demanded, standing. Ranna remained on her knees, staring at the wooden floor beneath her as her Lekku fell from her shoulders.

"Bengel Morr said he was taking the village to the someplace called the Forge. Your Droid may know where it is." Ranna admitted. She looked broken. "Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

"If you want my forgiveness… work with the Jedi and _never_ repeat the mistake you've made today." Nasra ordered. Ranna stood shakily before him, bowing low.

"I promise, Master Jedi."

"Now, take me to Teeseven… and my lightsaber."

* * *

Teeseven looked rough. Nasra circled the droid slowly, inspecting any damage that could cause an issue with his systems. Upon seeing none, Nasra flipped a small switch hidden just inside the casing on the droid's front.

Teeseven activated slowly, no doubt running diagnostics from the power surge he was knocked out with. Nasra remained in his position before the little Astromech, looking directly into its 'eye' so that he was the first thing it saw.

Eventually, the whirring of gears slowed to a barely audible level and the purple 'eye' on the droids head came to life.

"T7 = power failure? / / Memory logs = missing time."

"Hey there buddy. The Twi'leks made a… mistake." Nasra frowned, standing up and patting the droid on the head. "Look, the Jedi you had a recording of? He's called Bengel Morr and has taken hostages to a place called the Forge. Do you know where that is?"

"Jedi archive droid A-4PO = detailed data on the Forge. Jedi = contact A-4PO via holo / / A-4PO = transmit Forge data to T7." Teeseven chirped happily.

With a quiet click, the little Astromechs holoprojector came to life, projecting the image of a protocol droid onto the floor before him.

" _I am A-4PO, Jedi archivist. How may I help you?"_ The hologram asked in its gentle mechanical voice.

"My name is Padawan Shan, code Aurek-two-dash-three-nine-four. Transmit everything you know about the Forge to my droid Teeseven."

" _Acknowledged, Padawan Shan. That area is considered highly dangerous. May I enquire as to why you need this data?"_ A-4PO asked, clicking on something off-screen.

"Flesh Raiders have captured the civilians from the Twi'lek village. Master Orgus may also be at that location. His status is… unknown." Nasra responded, frowning at that last part and placing his hands on his hips. Teeseven let out a low moan.

" _By the stars! What perfectly awful timing! The temple Masters are all indisposed fighting Flesh Raiders. I will alert them and Grandmaster Satele Shan immediately, but they may be unable to assist you."_ The protocol droid announced. So, this was a planned move by Bengel? Clever.

" _Transmitting data now…"_ A-4PO announced, once more pressing something on the other side of the holo-channel. When Teeseven announced the arrival of the data, Nasra bowed his head to the archivist, thanked the droid and closed the channel.

"Alright Teeseven, just one more thing before we go…" Nasra announced, looking at the door where he sensed Ranna stood patiently.

Raising her hands up slowly, Nasra spotted that she held the lightsaber he'd been given at the start of this fiasco. With a subtle gesture of his hand, the lightsaber flew into his hand. Quickly checking the casing for any tampering, Nasra thumbed the activation switch and grinned to himself as the sapphire blade sprung to life.

"Alright Teeseven, let's go." Nasra announced as he attached the familiar weight upon his hip.

* * *

The two seated speeders engine roared as the Forge came within sight. Weaving between the tree-tops, Nasra flinched into his seat as blaster-fire began to surround the vehicle. Spotting the location the fire came from, he saw a large grouping of Flesh Raiders firing all sorts of blasters into the sky. Making a split second decision, Nasra sharply turned the speeder – to which Teeseven let out a shrill cry of alarm and aimed it straight at the grouping.

"Teeseven, detach from the navigation system!" Nasra ordered over the roar of blaster-fire. Teeseven did as he was told without hesitation, "Now, get ready to activate your jets!" Nasra added, manoeuvring himself to crouch in his seat.

The blaster-fire seemed to become more intense for a moment and the pitch of the engine increased as it was struck by a lucky shot.

"Activate now!" Nasra shouted, leaping from the doomed vehicle and spinning in the air and activating his lightsaber.

The speeder exploded in a brilliant fireball directly in the heart of the Flesh Raider numbers, throwing shrapnel in all directions. Nasra landed with a light thud, while he heard Teeseven land behind him. The wind was picking up and it looked as if it was about to rain. Quickly pulling his hood up, Nasra set off into the mass of Flesh Raiders.

His training as a Jedi allowed him to out-class the Raiders at every opportunity. Each swing of his lightsaber either removing a limb or removing a life. Teeseven's blaster sounded a number of times, adding to the carnage. Any training these Raiders may have received went out the garbage chute as they couldn't decide whom to attack. The Jedi, tearing through their ranks, or the Astromech hidden behind a boulder and picking off any stragglers.

Before long, only a handful of Raiders remained. Nasra charged the remainder, though he let out a surprised grunt as he felt himself being thrown against a nearby boulder. Glad he was wearing the armour his mother had provided him, he stood slowly feeling the crack in the armour rub against his skin. Nasra leapt at the Raider that had used the Force on him, slicing the creature in two. Teeseven removed another pair of natives which left only the remaining Raider to face him. The Raider looked between the Jedi and the droid as Teeseven rolled to Nasra's side, chirping happily to itself.

Having decided on a course of action, the Raider turned tail and attempted to run. Switching his grip on the hilt, Nasra threw the blade with all the accuracy and power of an athlete and watched as it sunk to the hilt in the Raiders back before pulling it back out with the Force.

"Right. Teeseven, you go find the villagers, I'll go and find Master Orgus and Bengel." Nasra ordered, the droid beeping a confirmation as the two took off in different directions.

* * *

Nasra ran as fast as his body would allow him to. He leapt over fallen trees and ducked under a ridiculous number of branches. He could sense his Master ahead. He felt… shock and a brief flash of pain. Pumping his legs harder, Nasra tore through the woodland around him, skidding to a stop when he emerged onto a clearing with a ruin in the middle of it.

Stood by the base of the steps were a pair of Raiders and what appeared to be a pair of Jedi. With an angry gesture, one of the Jedi threw the other hard against the steps. The Jedi didn't stand up again.

"No!" Nasra cried, alerting the Raiders and the other Jedi to his presence. Nasra barrelled forth as the Raiders began to run towards him. He wasted no time, slicing the legs out from beneath the first Raider as he slid below its clumsy swipe and cutting the other at the hip as he stood back up.

As he turned to now face the Jedi, Nasra felt his hands trembling as he gripped his lightsaber before him. He clenched his teeth as the now Nautolan Jedi slowly began to clap.

"I sensed your coming, Jedi. Your fear betrayed you." Bengel Morr announced, eyeing the Padawan before him. "You're weak, like my old Master. You will fall. Like him." Bengel added, pointing at the downed Orgus behind him. Nasra still sensed life from the Master. He wasn't too late.

"You're not hurting anyone else Bengel. It's over." Nasra announced as lightning cracked the sky. The pattering of rain on the ground was all the noise there was for a moment. The crazed Jedi staring at him through his amphibious eyes.

"No. The will of the Force guided me here for justice, to restore what the Jedi lost." Bengel snarled, turning his back to the Padawan. Steam traced faint lines into the air as raindrops evaporated on the blade.

"You weren't on Coruscant. You didn't see our greatest hero's cut down or watched the Temple burn. I escaped that destruction to see my own Master surrender to the Sith. They exterminated us and he gave up!" Bengel snarled, kicking the downed Master in the side to emphasise his point.

"And so that's why you lured Orgus here? For revenge?" Nasra demanded, the light trickle of rain dripping from his hood.

Bengel turned around, laughing lightly, "The weak will be sacrificed here to make the Forge stronger." Bengel's own hilt slapped into the fallen Padawan's awaiting hand. The blade sprung to life, its yellow hue illuminating the ground below it. "The Jedi Order must be reborn!" Bengel announced, turning from Nasra and approaching the still form of Master Orgus Din.

"Not while I'm still breathing, Bengel." Nasra announced, adjusting his grip.

The Nautolan chuckled darkly. "That can be arranged." He replied, preparing to drive his blade into Orgus.

With a grunt, Nasra reached out with the Force and pulled Bengel back. The Nautolan gasped in surprise but recovered quickly, spinning his body to meet his opponent.

The ground was slick from the rain, and so find the correct footing was a challenge all in itself for the young Padawan of the Order. The blades of both combatants clashed against one another, each trying to find a gap in the defences of the other. Bengel lashed out on Nasra's exposed side, to which Nasra parried and drove his knee into the madman's hip.

Bengel let out a grunt and attacked with a renewed fury. Nasra was forced on the defence, having to play catch-up to the much angrier Darkside adept. Bengel was fuelling his attacked with his emotions, never giving Nasra a chance to recover. Callef, who he'd defeated in the caves was nothing like his supposed Master.

Bengel slashed at Nasra's throat, to which the Padawan barely ducked below the blade. Spinning around, the Padawan struck at Bengel's exposed chest but the Nautolan was quick to block the strike. With the scraping sounds of the lightsabers rubbing against one another, the two Jedi stood there staring into one another's eyes. With a lurch, Bengel smashed his face into Nasra's own – the Padawan falling back with a cry of pain. The mud splashed into the air and Nasra's lightsaber fell from his grasp.

The pain was sharp and Nasra could feel the blood trickling down his nose and along his upper lip. Bengel had done a job on his nose. Nasra's eyes narrowed as Bengel approached him. Nasra crawled back, attempting to keep some distance between the two of them. Nasra's heart felt like it suddenly stopped when Bengel raised his saber for the finishing blow. He was about to die. This wasn't right. Nasra had done everything in his power to protect the Temple. In his life, he'd waded into conflicts, learnt skills Jedi often took lifetimes to begin to grasp and finally seen his mother after years apart with him just on the cusp of becoming a Knight. He couldn't die now.

With a shout, Nasra shot both hands out towards the fallen Jedi. Mud shot forth like a powerful jet and covered the Nautolan. Bengel fell back, his own lightsaber lost from his grasp. Nasra shot forth, leaping atop the Jedi and throwing his fists into the other Jedi's face. He managed only a handful of attacks before Bengel managed to regain his senses. With a sudden lurch, their positions were reversed, with Nasra fending off any and all attacks that he could. Nasra managed to free a knee from beneath the Nautolan and managed to drive it into Bengel's armoured side three times before the offending male fell from him.

Nasra returned to his position of straddling Bengel and picked him up with the collar of his armour before driving his right fist across the cheek of the man below him. Gone were the moves of finesse usually associated with lightsaber combat. This was now a fight for survival – not just for the two combatants, but for the very things they fought for. Nasra fought for the Jedi Order and everything it stood for, while Bengel stood for chaos and death.

Nasra brought his fist down on Bengel once more before he felt himself blasted off of him. Nasra flew through the air before his travel was brought to a sudden stop against a wall, hard enough to crack the ancient stone. Nasra forced himself onto his knees, spitting out a mixture of mud, blood and saliva. His entire body ached and his strength was beginning to leave him. He wouldn't last much longer.

He felt Bengel approach him slowly, his lightsaber returning to his outstretched hand. Nasra groaned into the grass, hanging his head. He had to replenish his strength, but how? He delved deep into the connection he held within the Force, seeking a second wind. He went deep, deeper than he'd ever been before. It was too late.

He felt Bengel grip him by his hair, his hood having long since fallen back from his head. Mud, rain and blood covered his face. He looked beaten in every sense of the word but his eyes were defiant.

As Bengel held him there, lightsaber pointed at his chest and ready to strike the two looked each other in the eye, a seeming respect found for one another in Nasra's final moments.

Without another moment, Bengel plunged forth his blade towards Nasra's heart. With a gasp, Nasra raised his hands instinctively to halt the blade.

He expected pain. Blinding pain. It never came.

Nasra opened his eyes, only to see Bengel's shocked gaze. His blade had struck true into Nasra's hands, there was no doubt about that – but his hands weren't in tatters and more importantly, there was no gaping hole in his chest. His hands hand caught the lightsaber blade!

Bengel pushed against his hold, though as Nasra looked along the length of the energy, he could see what looks to be sections of it almost… cracking?

Nasra forced a foot beneath him as he pushed against the attack. He grit his teeth in defiance. He couldn't tell if it was this seemingly second wind that had given him this edge or the shock that Bengel appeared to be going through. With a grunt, Nasra forced himself to stand against Bengel, his eyes never leaving the Nautolans. With an explosive push, Nasra sent the Jedi flying backwards into the mud.

With an outstretched hand, Nasra called his own lightsaber back to his awaiting palm, spitting out a little more blood that had pooled in his mouth. The lightsaber sprung to life, the blue blade humming comfortingly in the rain.

Now it was Bengel who scurried back. Nasra called Bengels lightsaber to his other hand, the second blade snapping to life. Covered in blood, mud, sweat and rain the young Jedi made an imposing sight. His armour was cracked and would be no good to anyone anymore after this fight but still he fought on. He came to a halt before Bengel, crossing the blades over the Nautolans throat – a mere twitch away from slicing his head from his shoulders.

Bengel raised his hands in defeat, spitting out a globule of his own blood. "Y-you've won…" Bengel gasped, panting for breath, "why has the Force guided me to this defeat? You're stronger than any Jedi I've known. You could redeem the Order and destroy the Sith!"

There was silence from the pair for a moment. Bengel blinked his amphibious eyes slowly, "I understand now… You're the weapon I came here to forge!"

"Do you have _any_ idea how many Jedi you've killed?!" Nasra roared, his entire body shaking in his rage.

"I culled the weak from the strong!" Bengel retorted, just as loud.

"You killed children! It would be a service to kill you." Nasra growled, inching the blades just that little bit closer. His rage was wild and untamed. For the first time in his life, he was truly angered. His entire being shook for the chance to end the creature's life before him. He kept himself from fulfilling his desire however as he felt his mother's presence brush against his own. It soothed the anger within him.

"Do it." Bengel ordered, resting his head against the stone behind his head.

Nasra shook for a moment before both blades retreated into their hilts. "You're not worth the effort. The Council will decide what to do with you." Nasra announced as he flipped the hilt of his own lightsaber into a reverse grip and brought it down against Bengel's temple – knocking the Jedi out.

Nasra spun on his heel, turning his attention back to Master Orgus that lay motionless at the foot of the ancient Forge. Nasra stumbled over to him, turning the Jedi onto his back and checking for a pulse. With it discovered, Nasra sighed in relief and sat down next to his Master, resting his back against the stone steps behind him.

Absently, with almost all of his strength sapped, Nasra activated the distress beacon on his belt before he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

With a groan, Nasra awoke in a soft bed, the soft chimes of droids and medical equipment surrounding him. His eyes opened slowly, this time there was no harsh light to meet him. Instead the warm, soothing lights from the Temple greeted him. He slowly pushed up from the bed, gasping as pain shot through his abdomen. He looked down to see his top half bare of any armour of robes. Instead, Kolto-soaked bandages were wrapped around his chest and lower stomach.

The door opened with a gentle chime and a Jedi Healer came barrelling into the room – a kindly looking middle-aged woman. "Ah, you're finally awake I see."

"I think I'd have been better off dead." Nasra groaned, holding a hand to his aching chest. The woman laughed gently.

"Oh come now, where is your sense of adventure young Padawan? You won't do anyone much good in the ground now, will you?"

"I must have left it with my other injuries." Nasra replied, sinking into the soft mattress. Nasra closed his eyes as the Healer stood over him, poking and prodding him in various places to check on the healing process. "How is Master Orgus?" Nasra asked, opening his eyes slowly.

"You can ask him yourself, young one." The woman replied, making a motion with her hands towards the door. Nasra turned his head slowly to see his Master and Teeseven waiting in the doorway. Teeseven let out a happy chirp and came barrelling towards the injured Padawan, earning a chuckle from all in the room.

"Hey there Teeseven." Nasra greeted, affectionately stoking the droid on the head.

"Padawan…" Orgus began, taking a seat by Nasra's bed. Orgus gently placed his hand on Nasra's shoulder, "I have you to thank for being alive."

"I knocked out Bengel Morr. Have the Jedi got him?" Nasra asked, sitting up slightly.

"The Council are holding Bengel. You did a great thing, Nasra. He deserves a second chance. The horrors he witnessed on Coruscant broke him – destroyed the gentle Padawan I trained." Orgus admitted, hanging his head.

"You planned to confront him yourself. To try to bring him back." Nasra sighed, realising Orgus' earlier intent. "He killed many Jedi, Master."

"That he did, that he did." Orgus nodded slowly, "But it is the way of the Jedi to forgive. Everyone can have a chance at redemption, no matter what their crimes."

"Yes Master." Nasra replied, his voice exhausted.

"I'll let you rest. When you're able, meet with the Council." Orgus ordered, standing slowly. The older man hesitated for a moment, holding his Padawan's hand in his grasp for a moment before adding, "I'm proud of you Nasra. So very proud."

The Council chamber was the same as he experienced before. It had been a week since his duel with Bengel. Nasra was dressed in the standard robes of the Order, eagerly awaiting some new gear much like the ones his mother had gifted to him.

The Masters were sat around the room, his mother looking at him with a stern expression – not once had his mother come to visit him. The Healer had told him that Grandmaster Shan was barred from entering the room. Nasra vaguely remembered chuckling for a moment or two after hearing that.

"You know why you've been called before us?" Asked Gnost-Dural in his deep, flanged voice.

"I assume to be debriefed on the events that transpired at the Forge, Masters?" Nasra replied, looking around the room.

"While that is true in part, we received a report from your droid that witnessed the conclusion of your duel." Satele announced, resting her hands on the arms of her chair.

"Then why-" Nasra began, frowning. He was interrupted by Master Syo Bakarn.

"We believe that you accomplished something truly spectacular with the events in which Bengel Morr attempted to bring destruction to the Jedi Order."

" _Your skill and bravery is something that we have only ever witnessed from exceptional Jedi Knights in our darkest hours. You should feel proud of what you've accomplished, Nasra."_ Master Kiwiks announced through her hologram from Coruscant.

"You faced a challenge far beyond any trial the Council or I could assign. There's nothing more I can teach you, Nasra." Orgus announced, standing.

Nasra looked around the room, his mouth slightly agape as Master Orgus approached him. The Master removed what appeared to be a ceremonial blade from his belt and found the Padawan Braid Nasra kept tucked behind his ear. With a gentle slice, Nasra felt the braid fall into the grasp of Orgus. The Master bowed and presented the long, beaded braid to Nasra.

The other Masters began to approach as Nasra accepted the braid. With a collective snap-hiss of their blades, they circled the stunned Padawan before them.

"Padawan Nasra Shan," Satele began, standing before him with only one end of her elegant saber-staff activated. "You have completed the trials of Knighthood." She announced, resting the blade close to her now kneeling sons left shoulder. As she spoke, she moved the blade to his opposite shoulder. "By the will of the Council, by the will of the Force… We name you a Jedi, Knight of the Republic." Satele announced, looking down at her son in a way only a proud mother could.

Nasra stood shakily, his hands still grasping his braid tightly. Tears fell from his eyes as he openly wept before the Council.

"T-thank you, Masters! I-I won't fail you!" He promised, looking around at the assembled Council. Those off-world such as Master Kiwiks looked on from their chairs.

"Go, return to your chambers. One of us shall be along shortly." Orgus smiled kindly, patting the young man on the shoulder.

* * *

Nasra paced about his room in Master Orgus' quarters. Since his acceptance as Orgus' Padawan in his time here on Tython, he realised with a mild chuckle that he had never actually slept in his bed. In the entire crisis since retrieving the weapons for the Twi'leks, the only sleep he'd gotten had been drug induced. He absently rubbed the back of his neck at that thought.

"I could not be more proud of you, Nasra." Satele announced as she calmly walked into his room, Master Orgus stood next to her.

"We both are." Orgus added, smiling from ear to ear.

"There is only one thing you have yet to do. Craft your own lightsaber." Satele announced, embracing her son. She leaned back, holding her son at arm's length as she looked him up and down. She couldn't help the smile that worked its way across her face as she kissed him on the forehead.

"Normally, we would instruct Padawans to gather their own materials. However, we've set aside a room here in the Temple three doors down, full of all the physical components you'll need. As a gift from the Council new robes and a cloak are being made to replace those that were lost." Orgus announced, approaching his former Padawan as an equal.

Nasra wasted no time. He bowed repeatedly, thanked them both and set off for the room. He was grinning the entire time. The room that was set aside was barren save for the materials inside. Reaching into his pocket, he smiled at the familiar shape of the crystal that his mother had gifted to him years ago.

For three hundred years, his family had held onto this crystal – passing it down from generation to generation. When he was younger, his mother had told him the name the crystal possessed though he had forgotten it over the years. As each new bearer of the crystal crafted their lightsabers, each would place it within their hilts and attempt to activate the blade. It was a tradition the Shan's had kept since the Jedi Civil War.

As Nasra rolled the cyan crystal in his hand, he smiled at it. The blade had activated for nobody – not even his mother, in over three hundred years. Perhaps it would activate for him.

Nasra knelt in the centre of the floor and focused on the Force itself. With a calming breath, Nasra pictured the blade he wanted to create. It would be a standard sized hilt that would be elegant and functional at the same time. He would use Phrik as the metal casing. It would be resistant to lightsaber blades and blaster-fire. He would use a Dragite lens to increase the blade output of his lightsaber. Finally, he had to focus on the grip of the hilt. He would create a thin wrap to cover the lower half of the hilt using Krayt Dragon leather.

Nasra remained in that room for hours, eventually even days crafting his lightsaber. He used the Force meticulously, making each piece of the hilt align perfectly. Eventually, when the lightsaber was finished and the cyan crystal was placed correctly, Nasra slowly stood before the gently floating blade.

He grasped the hilt reverently, examining it for any defects that could affect its performance. The hilt was perfect. Now it was the matter of testing the crystal. Thumbing the activation switch, Nasra's face took on a cyan hue as the blade hummed powerfully. He grinned to himself, noting the sharper shape of the blade thanks to the lens. De-activating the blade and using the Force to re-activate the lights in the room, he attached the new weapon to his belt and walked out the door a full-fledged Jedi Knight.

He walked into his mother's room proudly, beaming like a small child. She spun upon his entrance, looking at the state he'd become in three days. His face was dark with unshaven stubble and his hair was a mess, but sat there at his hip was a lightsaber hilt.

"I see you've crafted your lightsaber. Congratulations, my son." Satele grinned back in equal happiness.

"Thank you. It worked, mother, it actually worked!" Nasra exclaimed, beaming with unfiltered joy.

Satele paused, shocked, "The crystal? It actually worked? Show me!" She replied, backing up a few steps as her son activated his lightsaber. True enough, the cyan blade sprung forth. "Do… do you know what this means?" Satele asked, looking at the son she had raised as much as she was able to.

"It's just a crystal, isn't it?" Nasra asked, frowning as he studied the blade himself.

"That crystal was lost for years, Nasra. It surfaced again in the Civil War three hundred years ago. It's tied to the Order itself. The crystal was even named!" Satele whispered, eyeing the blade in awe.

"What's it called?" Nasra asked, his own wonder getting the better of him. His mother frowned at him.

"Of course you don't remember. It's called the Mantle of the Force. It's a powerful crystal, Nasra. Use it wisely." Satele counselled as the blade retreated into the hilt.

Nasra nodded slowly. "So… now that I'm a Jedi Knight," Nasra began, hooking the blade onto his belt. "is there anything the Council would ask of me?"


	6. Chapter 6

Coruscant was a large planet. Some of the more recent, more prestigious skyscrapers even reaching into the lower atmosphere. On approach to the planet, the sight that had greeted him was that of a giant golden pattern of city light against the dark backdrop of the planet itself. Nasra had never in his life visited the capital of the Republic – or at least, not to his memory. As a result, the young man couldn't contain his awe as he peeked out from below the dark cloak he wore.

The noises of the planet were deafening. The sounds of all varying species wanting their voices to be heard over the next being. Traffic zipped by above and below him, always in a constant motion. It was a wonder that they never suffered an accident. From what he'd read on the holonet, there had only been a handful of accidents in the last hundred years and none of them had been serious. He looked on at the traffic over the rail with an expression of pure amazement at the planet.

As he leant on the railing, he felt something small gently bump his leg before letting out a series of electronic whistles, "Warning / / Coruscant = big city world = easy to get lost!" Teeseven warned.

Nasra turned his head slightly to look at the diminutive droid, smiling slightly. He had requested to be partnered with the little droid after their adventure on Tython together. He'd have no other droid. "We'll be fine Teeseven. I have you to protect me."

Teeseven whistled happily, rocking from side to side, "Affirmative / / T7 = keep Jedi safe!"

Nasra chuckled a little at the excitability of his new friend and pushed back off of the railing in the Senate Plaza, the large building looming over the two of them. He looked at the building briefly, realising he was about to approach the seat of the galactic government that had made all of this possible. Suddenly he felt very, very small.

He looked down at Teeseven at his side for a moment before asking, "Did Master Orgus tell you where we were to meet him inside?"

"Teeseven = have Master Din's co-ordinates / / Jedi + T7 = Late!" The droid chirped. Nasra smiled again, patting the droid on the head.

"Alright then, let's not keep them waiting." Nasra announced, walking towards the building. The reassuring whirr of Teeseven's motors letting Nasra know he was following easily enough, though that noise became slightly more strained upon reaching the ramp that lead onto the courtyard before the senate. Nasra would have to clean out his little friend and try to fix that issue.

The courtyard was amazing. Stretching from left to right as far as he could see, the courtyard was filled with dignitaries of every species he could recognise. There were the usual majority of humans, but with a healthy dose of Aquilish, Deveronian, Twi'lek, Nikto, Weequay, Nemoidian, Zeltron and many more that Nasra could eye. All were dressed in a finery that many citizens could never afford, even if they saved up their entire lives.

Nasra and Teeseven wove between the mass of bodies, the former much more gracefully than the droid behind him. Sinking into his senses slightly, Nasra stretched out seeking the presence of his former Master and had trouble repressing the small quirk of his lips that came when he felt other Jedi on the planet going about their business. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad thing for the Jedi to rebuild their Temple here on Coruscant. It would come in time, he supposed.

If Nasra believed the exterior of the senate building was magnificent, then the interior was more so. Expensive shimmer-silk rugs and tapestries lined the corridors and marble buffs of variously famous Senators and Chancellors lined the walls. If one had a keen eye, they could even spot the occasional marble buff of a handful of famous Jedi, forgotten by the galaxy at large over time. That gave Nasra pause. Would the galaxy remember all those that sacrificed themselves in the Great War in a century's time? In two centuries?

Teeseven pulled Nasra from his troublesome thoughts with a whistle and began leading the way through the halls. Quickly going over what his mother had instructed, he reminded himself of his purpose here. Master Kiwiks had contacted Tython while he had been constructing his lightsaber and had requested additional Jedi be sent to help deal with the situation. The Council had dispatched himself and Master Orgus to assist.

Going over these facts in his head had allowed the travel through the corridors to become a blur and before long he almost walked into his mechanical friend as Teeseven came to a stop outside the room. "Is this it, Teeseven?"

"Affirmative!" The droid responded happily, moving to the side slowly so as Nasra could walk through the door. What greeted them was a Mon Calamari in a Republic General's uniform debating with what appeared to be a scientist. The three Jedi in the room stood off to the side.

Nasra looked around, "Tell me what's happening." He requested, walking up to the other Jedi. It was Master Orgus that spoke up, drawing the attention of the two squabbling men.

"You remember Master Kiwiks and Padawan Carsen," The Master began, motioning his hand to each woman in return. Nasra nodded to each and noticed Kira had her hands on her hips and a very bored expression on her face. He had to stifle a chuckle. "This is General Var Suthra and Doctor Eli Tarnis." Orgus added.

Nasra bowed to each of the men politely, taking in their appearances a little more closely. While Var Suthra seemed in the prime of his life for a Mon Calamari, Eli Tarnis seemed a weasel of a man, his eyes not connecting with Nasra's for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Now that pleasantries are out of the way, we were discussing why the Republic built a planetary-scale weapon without consulting the Jedi." Orgus announced, frowning in the Doctors direction.

Nasra had to give the small man some credit. He met Master Orgus' frown with his own haughty sneer, throwing his arms into the air as he paced around, "My work barely qualifies as a weapon. It's the most humane military technology ever created! With a single activation, the Planet Prison super-charges a world's upper atmosphere, turning it into an enormous ion cannon." The Doctor explained in an exasperated fashion. "Any starship entering or leaving the planet will be completely disabled. Perfect planetary containment. No casualties!" He added, emphasising the last part to the Jedi in the room.

"Have you tested the Planet Prison's safety?" Nasra asked, frowning.

"We were about to begin field testing when this pointless debate started." The Doctor frowned, folding his arms over his chest and glowering. This Doctor struck Nasra as exceptionally angry, though he supposed if he'd created something like this and was delayed from testing it, he'd be somewhat riled.

"Regardless, you've allowed the Planet Prison's design files to be stolen by common criminals!" Master Kiwiks announced.

Nasra stood straighter, "What?!" he exclaimed.

"Oh I doubt the criminals even realise what they have. Besides, the data is encrypted."

"Our people are pursuing every possible lead." The General spoke up.

"With all due respect, old friend, don't you think it's time the Jedi got involved?" Master Orgus smiled kindly, gently raising a hand to placate both the General and the Doctor. "Master Kiwiks and I must speak with the Supreme Chancellor. I need you here, finding those design files." Orgus added, looking between Padawan Carsen and Nasra respectively. Both bowed in return.

"We won't let you down, Masters." Kira announced, turning her head slightly at Nasra and cocking an eyebrow.

Before anyone could move to go anywhere, a darkly skinned man burst into the room seemingly out of breath. "General!" He announced, saluting quickly, "We think we may have a lead on the thieves!"

The middle-aged Mon Calamari nodded and returned the salute, "This is Agent Galen with the Strategic Information Service. Agent, these young Jedi will assist you." The General announced, motioning with his hand between the newly made Knight and the Padawan.

At this, the General and both Masters left quickly and the two remaining Jedi looked to the spy expectantly. "Thirty-two hours ago, thieves raided a military storehouse. They stole weapons, supplies and data files for the Planetary Prison project. The Thieves' leader slipped up - showed his face to a security camera. We've identified him from our criminal database." At this, Agent Galen pulled out a datapad with the footage in question on it. He handed it to Nasra first who then passed it to Kira after a moment's study. "Vistis. Rodian smuggler. We've heard recently that he's staying with the so-called Migrant Merchants' Guild but we're currently working on confirming that data. They're a nasty bunch of criminals."

"Why would alien gangsters rob a military storehouse?" Tarnis asked, frowning as he cupped his grizzled chin. Nasra noticed for the first time that the Doctor would only have been a decade older than himself at most – apparently the Doctor didn't age well.

"We'll find out, Doctor. In the meantime, Galen can you confirm this data please? I'd rather not cause a scene where it's not needed. Kira, Teeseven and I shall get set up in this room for now." Nasra asked, taking the lead.

"Well, it seems I'm not needed here any longer. If anyone needs me, I'll be in my apartment. Excuse me." Eli Tarnis announced, removing himself from the room politely. Nasra watched the man leave before shaking head slightly.

"I need to head back to Headquarters. I'll let you know once we've got something you can move on." Galen added, nodding politely between the remaining three in the room.

When Galen had left, the room suddenly became quiet. Nasra, Teeseven and Kira stood there for a few moments. The awkward tension in the room was palpable. It was Kira who broke it.

"So, finally made Jedi Knight, huh?" She asked, the hint of a smirk on her lips.

"Yes, I was given the title just before I set off for this assignment." He smiled back, shrugging off his cloak and draping it over a nearby chair. He wandered over to a window, gazing out upon the city.

Kira, dressed in her dark robes and thigh length armoured boots came to stand next to him, leaning on the glass. "So, what's it like? Being the fabled son of the Grandmaster?" She asked, her brow raised once more.

Nasra sighed, expecting the question. Most Padawans had asked him the same thing when he'd be training with someone or had been paired with another for a certain mission. He shrugged nonchalantly, "It's just a name. Come with a lot of expectations though."

Kira nodded slowly at that. "So, how's Tython? After the attack, I mean." She asked, changing the subject expertly.

"Still green." Nasra chuckled before letting out a quiet sigh, "It's doing well. The Raiders have been repelled and the man leading the whole thing is in custody in the Temple. Short of an invasion, I can't see another threat to the Jedi. You're an inquisitive Padawan, aren't you?" Nasra asked, quirking his own brow at her as he pushed some hair back off his face.

"Just trying to get to know you, partner." She winked and pushed off of the Transparisteel. Her booted footsteps clacking quietly against the marble floor as she approached the faithful form of Teeseven. "And who just might you be, hmm?"

Teeseven whistled a tone or two before Kira frowned in confusion, "What did he say?" she asked.

Nasra chuckled and turned to face them, the sun setting behind him as the lights of the city began to come alive, "He said his name is Teeseven and he's please to meet you."

"Oh, well it's good to meet you too little guy." Kira replied, beaming a pearly white smile down at the little machine.

There was silence for a few moments before Nasra looked around, looking for any other doors. He found one and opened it gently. Inside was what appeared to be an over-night room for whatever dignitary and by proxy their aides, which seemed to use this room that had been assigned to them. He shrugged and looked over his shoulder.

"Found a few beds in here. Unlike you, I only landed just over an hour ago. Wake me if anything comes up!" Nasra called over to Kira who nodded in response before moving over to a chair in front of a terminal.

Nasra closed to door behind him and fell onto the closest bed unceremoniously. Before long, he felt himself drift into the gentle embrace of sleep, frowning as dreams of a shadowy figure loomed over him.


	7. Chapter 7

The dull bass of the cantina he was in was so deep it felt as if it was thumping within the very depths of his skull. With each dull thump, the strobe lights would flash in varying colours. Bodies pressed against one another writhing and grinding their way through the song. As he looked around at the various patrons, he could see a number of them become intimate with one another as they danced, kissing as they ground against their partner.

The smell of alcohol and sex was thick in the air, to a degree that he could almost taste it on the tip of his tongue in the thick, smoggy air. Gently, as politely as he could he meandered his way through the crowd towards the bar as he tried to order a drink.

When he finally managed to wiggle his way in against the Durasteel and bodies, he sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. He could feel the light brush of stubble that had accumulated over the last day or two. He hadn't shaved since he left Tython and his face was becoming scratchy. He'd have to rectify it when this mission was over.

"Hey darlin'." A woman's voice purred into his ear. He turned his head slightly as he spotted what looked to be a very attractive Zeltron female with what could only be described as leather tape covering her more intimate areas. He had to force himself to look her in the eye, and by the Force was that difficult to do.

"Hello there, miss." He replied, motioning to the barman to bring him a drink. He didn't particularly care which one at this point.

"What's a handsome fella' like you doing all alone?" She whispered, brushing her lips over his cheek as she leant back. Her smile showed all her pearly white teeth and the way she fluttered her long eyelashes seemed to hint at a coy, playful side.

"I heard about this place from a friend. Thought I'd try it out." He grinned back, falling into his casual demeanour when a drink was placed into his waiting hand. He gently slid the credit chit into the bar-tenders hand and nodded his thanks before turning his whole body to face the woman at his side.

"Oh? Well it sounds like you have pretty smart friends. Why don't we find a place to sit, hmm?" She pouted, pulling gently on his hand and biting the corner of her full bottom lip.

"Sounds good to me, miss…?" He asked, taking a sip of his drink – a Juma Juice by the slight tang on his lips.

"Oh, well aren't you a polite one." She gushed, giggling. As she led him over to a quieter part of the club, he could feel the music quieten so as a normal conversation was possible. The booth they were in was nice, by the clubs standards. "The name is Mirri. Though if you want to learn more, you'll have to work at it." She grinned, leaning over him fully as he sat down. Her skin brushing against his as she nibbled at his ear.

"Well, I was raised to be polite to beautiful women." He chuckled in return, feeling the effect of a Zeltron gently breathe on his exposed neck. He felt his resolve slowly being whittled away.

"Well, aren't you a charmer. May I learn your name? I want something to remember you by." She winked, taking the glass out of his hand before holding his arms above and behind his head as she gently ground against his inner thigh. Her light violet skin glistening in the light.

"I… I, uh," He chuckled, suppressing a nervous cough. He cleared his throat before he continued, "I'm Nasra." He smiled back, sucking in a short breath as she slammed her lips into his own. He had never kissed anyone before and had no idea how to respond. After a moment's hesitation however, he felt his body automatically respond. He was clumsy and held no thoughts that it was at all enjoyable for her. She felt her teeth gently nip at his bottom lip, her tongue lightly brushing against his teeth. He could taste the alcohol on her lips, the Correllian Whiskey that she seemed to favour. Thing he could feel the most though, was the quick hot blasts of air that caressed this upper lip as her breathing quickened.

He felt her moan slightly when he pulled away, his eyes wild and darting about all over the place as he fought the blush in his cheeks. She grinned up at him and leant on his chest, the heart within beating furiously.

"Was I your first?" She grinned, looking through those long eyelashes of hers. He nodded dumbly. "Well, this is a cause for celebration then! Waiter!" She called out, twisting her body to specifically press against all the right places as she sat in Nasra's lap, her long legs up on the booth as she sat sideways on. She leant against his chest as if she were a newly-wed woman. His breathing was still erratic.

As the serving droid came to them, he didn't hear the drinks that she ordered. He was too busy trying to recite the Code in his head to calm his emotions. After a moment, he calmed down and returned to his previous demeanour. "Well, that was fun." He chuckled, grinning at her cheekily as he placed his right hand on her exposed thigh, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth over it.

"I aim to please." She beamed at him. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, she asked in a low voice, "So, what really brings a man such as yourself into my company?"

Nasra smiled in return, "Just hoping to unwind before I have to go back to work." He replied, fixing the collar of his loose shirt.

Mirri began tracing a finger along the edge of his collar, occasionally teasing his skin with her touch. "It must be such awful work." She pouted, but not before adding, "Though it must be worth it to create a figure such as yours."

"It's all very physical work, I'm afraid." He chuckled as the droid arrived carrying a large jug and a number of glasses.

"Oh, well that just sounds _fun_." Mirri purred, kissing him on the cheek. She gratefully removed the items from the droid and shooed to away. He'd been to plenty of places all over the galaxy and had witnessed plenty of what the varying societies had to offer. Droids were used for a variety of purposes. In high society and expensive recreational destinations, droids were used as a show of wealth. In lower society, they were used because the owner just couldn't afford the staff. Nasra found it all very unnecessarily complex.

"It's nice to relax once in a while." He smiled, watching her carefully as she poured two glasses before she offered him one.

"Well hun, if you stick with me, in the morning you'll be more relaxed than you can possibly imagine." She winked as they clinked glasses. They both threw back their glasses, swallowing the sharp whiskey with a wince. Zeltrons were known as a very free species. Their homeworld Zeltros was the largest party in the galaxy, known for the species always being in a state of celebration.

"Sounds good to me, but you don't think you could help me with something really quick could you?" He whispered into her ear, smirking to himself when it earned a slight shiver to run through the female in his lap.

"For you, darlin'? Anything." She purred in response, pulling her thick, long hair over her shoulder to expose her neck to him.

"I need to speak to a Rodian really quickly that's in here. Then we can be on our way." He said, smiling slightly. He could sense the Rodian just around the corner.

"Oh? What's his name? I might know him!" She replied enthusiastically.

"V-something… uh, Vostic? No. Vostis? No, that's not it…" He mumbled, clicking his fingers absently.

"Vistis? Sure, I know him!" She offered, grinning down at him as she sat up.

"Yeah, Vistis! That's right!" He grinned back at her as she stood up, her long legs momentarily banishing all thoughts of the Rodian from his mind. He looked up to see her wink at him before she began to pull him by his sleeve. "C'mon, I think he's just over here!"

They rounded the corner to see a Rodian sat in a booth with a number of Twi'lek women around him, all giggling at something he'd said. The insect-like species were all over the galaxy, usually working within the criminal underworld though there were a number that often strived to remove themselves from the stereotype of their race. Many were in the Republic forces and many still were Jedi.

"Vistis! I have someone here who's been looking for you!" Mirri announced, clinging onto Nasra's arm. The Rodian looked up to appraise the two after a moment. The women had all stopped giggling.

"What you want, human?" He demanded in basic Huttese.

"Well, I hear you did a job lately and I was hoping I'd be able to join your crew." Nasra replied politely, placing himself between the Rodian and the Zeltron behind him. He didn't want her to get hurt.

"No places in crew! Get lost!" Vistis demanded, making a shooing motion with his hands. He could sense two beings watching the encounter carefully. No doubt the Rodian's bodyguards from the Guild.

"That's a shame then. In that case," Nasra announced, pulling out his concealed lightsaber from his pocket and activating the blade. The blade stopped just short of the Rodian's snout, a look of surprise on the creatures face. "By order of the Republic and the Jedi, I'm placing you under arrest for theft of military property Vistis."

He felt a body behind him pressing against him, the sounds of a pair of blasters being primed caused him to look over his shoulder. Mirri behind him was pointing a pair of blasters at a pair of Duros bodyguards that had stood when he'd activated him lightsaber. The music suddenly seemed to die down as the club-goers caught a glimpse of the Jedi.

"Schutta!" Vistis cursed, standing slowly with his hands raised. Nasra de-activated his blade and pulled the Rodian's hands behind his back as he placed shock-retainers on his wrists.

"We all good back there, Mirri?" He asked over his shoulder as the restraints clicked into position. He held the Rodian by the scruff of his jacket. He looked back over at the women in the booth cowering away from him. He shrugged in apology before he heard his companion speak up.

"These two lugs won't do anything. We'll get him back to the Senate Tower for questioning." She replied, stepping to his side with her blasters trained on the two bodyguards.

"Alright. Let's get him back then." He said before he pushed the Rodian forward slightly, "You're going to be going away for a long time buddy." He added, chuckling.

* * *

The room was quiet outside the interrogation. Nasra paced back and forth with his hands on his hips while his companion leant against the wall, waving cheekily to anyone that walked past.

"Can you not put some clothes on?" Nasra asked, rubbing his forehead as an Ithorian Senator stumbled past at the sight.

"Oh please, you're not complaining." Mirri shot back, chuckling. She seemed to inspect her nails for a moment.

"No, I'm not but that last Senator might. Here, wear this." Nasra said, wrapping his cloak around her shoulders. Once the mission had been completed, Nasra had gone back to his room and changed back into his armour and robes.

"You Jedi are so stingy. Whatever happened to the young man I picked up at the bar?" She pouted as she closed the cloak around her body, raising an elegant brow at the Jedi before her.

"We left him there, I'm afraid." He chuckled. The cloak was far too large for the woman before him. As it was, she only came to his chin.

"Such a shame. Ah well, I suppose I'd better get back to headquarters. Tell Galen that his wife wants to know what comes from the arrest!" The Zeltron sighed, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. She shrugged off the cloak and handed it back to the Jedi as she began walking away.

Nasra sighed at the retreating form of the SIS agent he'd been assigned for the mission. Just as she walked around a far corner, the door to the interrogation opened with an audible whoosh as Galen stepped out.

"Your wife just left." Nasra pointed down the corridor. The darkly skinned man just shrugged as he sat on a chair by the far wall. Nasra joined him as he slipped his cloak back on.

"We've had a major security breach." The agent sighed, rubbing a hand over his short hair absently. "Vistis had a copy of the data files, but he says the Guild had already decrypted them and sent them on to their clients – the Black Suns."

Nasra nodded his head as he leant forward, letting the agent take his time in explaining.

"He even gave up the stolen military hardware. I've got another agent – Krenn, working on finding out what was in the files as we speak, but that's the least of it. While you were gone, kidnappers grabbed Doctor Tarnis."

Nasra sat up, frowning, "That should be impossible. We've had surveillance on him since we arrived! There were guards for his apartment and his person at all times!" Nasra exclaimed.

"Guards never stood a chance. Kidnappers knew where they were and eliminated them all. From what post-mortem has been carried out so far, they all seem to have been hit with a high electrical pulse weapon. We're still trying to determine which weapons on the market can deliver that kind of kill." Galen paused for a moment as he leant back in the chair he was in. He looked exhausted. "Kira led a security team in pursuit, but the kidnappers split up during the chase." He paused a moment as the communicator at his belt began to beep. "Hang on, I need to answer this…"

The communicator displayed Kira's image duck under a blaster bolt as her figure sprung to life. Her face was contorted into an expression of grim determination, _"Agent Galen! I've got these creeps pinned down – but they won't surrender! Not sure how long we can hold them from escaping!"_ She said as the communicator lost its signal on her end.

Nasra was on his feet before the agent could say anything. The young Jedi turned to look at him, "Where did that signal come from?"

"The local spaceport. Go, she doesn't have much time!" Galen ordered

Nasra was already halfway down the corridor, sprinting as fast as he could. As he sped around a corner, he pulled his communicator from his belt. "Teeseven, I need you to shut down the spaceport! Do it now, Kira's in trouble!"


	8. Chapter 8

"You three, follow me!" Nasra shouted as he raced down a corridor in the spaceport. He could sense Kira's location and her fear. He pumped his legs faster as he heard the sounds of the three Security guards following him in their full armour. Since the sacking of Coruscant, all security personnel went through a training regimen from the Republic military. As such, all personnel were trained to the same standards expected of all grunts in the field.

He risked a glance over his shoulder and was satisfied to see them all carrying their standard-issue rifles. The sound of blaster fire increased as they sped around a corner, civilians fleeing from the sound. Nasra couldn't help the worried frown on his face. As he ran, he spotted a number of security troops and droids herding the terrified civilians out of harm's way.

After running for a few more moments, Nasra saw the first bolt fly past an opened hangar door just ahead of them. Behind him, the sounds of safeties being removed and ammo-packs being slammed in sounded out in the empty hallway. Quickly palming his hilt, he thumbed the activation switch and dove into the room, batting a number of shots back in the direction they came from.

Nasra bolted forth, slicing through any thug that got too close. It seemed that the thugs had simply been too superior in number for the guards. A number were still holding out but were cut off from one another. The whole thing was a mess and there was no sign of Kira.

He continued forth, hacking and slashing his way through the Black Sun. Suddenly he sensed danger ahead of him. He leant back as far as he could as he watched the blade of a previously cloaked Black Sun assassin pass over him. His eyes momentarily scanned the blade – a modified vibroswords. Elegant and slim in its design and always made with cortosis. Not enough to short out his lightsaber blade, but enough to stand up to it.

He stood once he felt the blade completely pass him and spun his blade in his right hand absently before he suddenly surged into motion. He began with a powerful overhead attack that brought his attacker to his knees. His assailant was a young man, early twenties by the looks of it – just a little older than Nasra himself. While the man may have been just older than him, Nasra wasted no time. In another simple movement, the Jedi removed the assassins' hands at the wrist, effectively making the man useless in the fight.

With the man now writhing on the floor and the fight a little more in the Republics favour, Nasra had a moment to search for Kira. Something, anything that would lead him to her. He spun on the spot, eyes darting this way and that as he tried to spot a torn piece of clothing, a damaged crate, a flash of a lightsaber out of the corner of his eye – anything.

Then his ears picked up a sound. A grunt. It was as average as any grunt that any number of species could have made, but somehow he knew it to be Kira. He took off in the direction of a side room, no doubt originally made for storage. The blast-door was wide open and he could faintly make out the sounds of a number of objects connecting with a lightsaber. All that was separating them was a number of boxes piled atop one another messily, as if they had fallen or had been pushed.

He leapt up and over, spinning his body with the motion as he had been taught. As he landed softly behind a trio of Black Sun firing at Kira with her purple blade, Nasra felt somewhat relived. His blade sprung to life as he attacked the Black Suns from the rear. He slashed the first across his back, severing the man's spine. The man made a dull thump as he landed. The second was a Duro firing a pair of blasters from behind a crate just ahead of him. Nasra darted forward and with a flick of his wrist separated the creatures head from his shoulders. The third was victim to his own blaster shot as Kira deftly directed it back into his face.

"About time you turned up." She muttered, her double-bladed saber deactivating with a snap. Kira's normally well-groomed appearance was a stark contrast to the woman before him. Her normally light skin was grimy and covered in soot and her usual bun of short red hair was messy and loose.

"I came as fast as I could. What happened?" He asked, stepping up to her quickly and putting his arm under her to support her weight. Her legs were weak and she was trembling. Was this her first time in combat without her Master?

"You came just in time. The boys get points for courage, but we were too heavily out-numbered." Kira sighed, relaxing at the sight of Nasra kneeling before her.

"I'd noticed. They gave you that much trouble?"

"There were more than a few trigger-happy thugs waiting for us in that docking bay." Kira said shaking her head after a moment. The two were silent for a few more moments, the only sounds being that of grenades and blaster fire behind the crates. It seemed the Republic's superior training was paying off.

"We'll get you out of here and-"Nasra began before Kira shot him an angry glare.

"I'm not leaving here. The kidnappers are threatening to kill Doctor Tarnis, but they might be bluffing. We couldn't even be sure we were following the group that had him." She popped, standing in defiance.

Nasra sighed as he stood slowly. He looked down for a moment, the hood of his cloak blocking the glare that Kira was giving him. "Bluff or not… He's in serious danger." Nasra conceded.

"So how do we handle this then?" Kira asked, her voice softening when Nasra looked back up at her.

"We?" He asked, looking back up at her.

"Of course. Like I just said, I'll be damned if I'm leaving now. Besides, if they make you do this the hard way – as sorry for them as it makes me, you shouldn't be going in alone. I've been learning with some of the Shadows when Master Kiwiks allowed it. I can sneak in. I'll be right behind you and take a few thugs by surprise!" Kira exclaimed as muffled yelling and an explosion rocked the room they were in.

"What the-"Nasra began before a voice called out from the far side of the crates.

"Master Jedi, we've taken out their engines and pushed them back to the far office! Waiting for your go, sir!"

"I'll be right there!" Nasra called back, gripping Kira around the waist suddenly. She gave a startled yelp as he pulled her to him as he cleared the crates in another leap.

The two of them landed before a startled young man as Kira pushed away from him.

"Watch where you put those hands, buster!" She muttered, her face turning a light shade of pink. Nasra merely sighed and shook his head before he turned to the security guard.

"Form your men up behind me. I'll cover the men as much as I can. I'll be going in alone. Once I'm in, form a perimeter around the office. Get two of the men to police the dead for any injured as well."

The man saluted and darted off out of the room as he pulled his helmet back over his head, hiding his features from the world. Nasra turned to look at Kira with a finger pointed at her and his eyebrows raised.

"You stay behind me. No matter what, okay?" He ordered gently. She was silent a moment before she sighed in defeat and nodded. "Good, let's go."

The walk over to the far side of the hangar was silent. There were no sounds of blaster fire and the injured were being seen to, from both sides of the brief conflict. The smoking engines of the ship they no doubt planned to make their escape in was rising up to the ceiling as flames began to warp some of the metal.

All the way to the small barricade, Kira matched him step for step. While he wouldn't admit it to her face, he was terrified of something happening to her. She was the first Padawan that had been left in his charge since he was promoted to Knight. He couldn't break the trust that Master Kiwiks had placed in him.

They arrived at the foot of a small ramp leading to the office. With a breath of smoky air, he drew himself to his full height and walked up the ramp to the door. With a frown, he looked over to where he knew Kira was supposed to be and found he couldn't see her. No doubt the skills learnt by the Shadows of the Order. With a quick motion of his hand, he pressed the release for the door and watched as it opened with a pleasant chime.

He was about to step through the door when he felt something brush by him and before he could should a warning, Kira seemed to materialise from thin air as a sonic pulse caught her in the side, knocking her into the back wall where she crumpled into a heap. Nasra spun into the room, furious at not only Kira but himself.

Standing at the far end were a trio of Black Sun, no doubt the last of this little group that had caused so much damage. He placed himself between the Suns and the downed Kira behind him that was groaning into the Durasteel deck-plating.

"Die Jedi!" The one in the middle shouted, blasting away with his weapon – a modified Czerka blaster from the looks of it. Nasra blocked a trio of shots and sent them sailing back at the three with barely a blink of his eyes. The two stood to either side of the vocal Sun were hit in the shoulders, while the third in the middle was struck in the thigh.

As all three dropped to the deck, their weapons scattered out of reach as they fell, Nasra approached with his saber still humming by his side.

"Argh! Jedi scum! I'll kill you!" The apparent leader groaned, grasping his thigh.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to fight a Jedi?" Nasra asked, frowning down at the middle-aged Correllian.

"He sure killed my Force Cloak. Oh well – it was fun while it lasted." Kira muttered as she came to stand next to Nasra. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips as she smirked at Nasra, "Isn't teamwork grand?"

"Don't scare me like that again Kira…" He began before his face softened and smiled at the young woman, "But well done."

"Wait," Kira chuckled, "I'll need a holo of that to show Master Kiwiks. No sign of Doctor Tarnis though. Kinda puts a damper on things."

The sounds of laughing drew both their attentions away from one another as they peered down at the man on the floor, "We were the decoys. Now you'll never see your little doctor again."

"Is that so?" Kira asked as Nasra's blade shifted closer to the man's throat. "Give me a minute with this guy, I'll make him talk."

"If nothing else, it'll be entertaining I suppose." Nasra shrugged, sheathing his blade and stepping away from the man. The man's eyes became frantic as he began to look around.

"Thanks for the encouragement." Kira smirked, kneeling down before the man.

"Wait, you can't do it! You're Jedi!" The man shouted, trying to push his way away from the Padawan. With an outstretched hand, Nasra turned and held the man firmly in place.

"Thing is, we don't need him to talk. Not when I can just read his mind…" Kira drawled as objects began to lift around her, a seeming wind blowing through the room as it shifted Nasra's cloak around his legs. The man began to panic even further.

"What? Stop that! Get out of my head! Get out! The doctor's in the Black Sun headquarters! Salaar has him! Just leave me alone!" The man pleaded, whimpering.

Kira's laughing began as the wind died and the objects returned to their original places. "Cheap thugs'll believe anything. I can't read your mind, stupid."

"You… you tricked me?" The man gasped as security troops began to make their way into the room.

"Smooth, Kira. Very smooth." Nasra chuckled, releasing his grip on the Correllian. Soon enough, all three men were taken into custody and just Nasra and Kira were left in the room, deep in thought.

"The Black Sun is a major crime syndicate. Whatever they want with Tarnis, we'd better save him quick. Come on, we'd better head back. Agent Galen will want to hear about this." Kira sighed.

* * *

"Doctor Tarnis is the least of our problems, General. The stolen data files had details, not only on the planet prison – but every weapon prototype and research facility in existence." Galen was saying as the two Jedi walked into their make-shift headquarters.

As Nasra looked around, he spotted both Master Orgus and Kiwiks stood off to the side and a very disturbed General Var Suthra pacing around the room.

"Our most powerful experimental weapons, and Black Sun has access to them. How could this happen?" Suthra demanded furiously. It seemed to only be his military discipline keeping the Mon Calamari from tearing the room to pieces.

"What does Black Sun stand to gain?" Nasra asked, looking around the room.

"They could make a fortune selling the secrets to our enemies." Galen pointed out. Nasra nodded in his direction slowly, mulling the information over in his head.

"Then we'll stop them before they can do anything with it." Nasra promised, his voice firm and unshakeable.

"We must act quickly to secure the other weapons. Where are they?" Master Kiwiks asked, stepping forward slightly.

Suthra turned to look at her before a defeated expression overcame his features. He waved his hand as he announced, "Tatooine and Alderaan are the most important. Nar Shaddaa was a back-up station. Minimal defences all round to give them a low-profile. They're vulnerable."

"Master Kiwiks and I shall head to Alderaan and Tatooine respectively." Orgus announced, nodding in Nasra's direction, spotting his worried frown.

"I'll take Nar Shaddaa." Galen announced, surprising everyone.

"You get the fun part, Nasra." Orgus announced, smiling his gentle smile of his, "You rescue Doctor Tarnis and the copied data files from Black Sun."

"I should be going with you, Master." Nasra replied, shifting uneasily. Orgus approached him slowly, holding a comforting hand on the young Knights shoulder.

"I'm no longer your Master, Nasra. You're a Jedi Knight now. Everything will work out, you'll see."

"Yes Master." Nasra sighed, bowing his head slightly.

"Kira will stay behind too. Nasra, I'm entrusting you to continue her training until I can return." Kiwiks announced, much to the surprise of her Padawan.

"I-"Kira began before her shoulders slumped in defeat and she let out a tired sigh, "Yes Master."

"She can be impulsive, but give her a chance. You'll make an unbeatable team." Orgus agreed, winking at the two young Jedi.

"She's rough around the edges but… she has a refreshing sense of humour at the very least." Nasra admitted, earning chuckles from around the room.

Kira merely crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, "She's right here, you know." Just loud enough for those closest to hear, though Nasra caught the faintest of smiles tugging at the corner of her lips.

Of all those in the room chuckling, Master Kiwiks was not one of them, "She struggles with emotional attachments, as many young Jedi do. Be mindful of that, Nasra." Nasra merely shrugged in reply. What could he say? Both he and his brother were a result of his mother's attachment to his father.

"I'll try not to corrupt the Padawan."

"We should go. May the Force be with us all." Master Orgus announced, bowing to the room at large. As he passed, Nasra grasped his arm gently and drew the older man into an embrace.

"Don't get yourself knocked out again old man. I won't be there this time." Nasra muttered into the robe of his former Master. Of all the Masters Nasra had tutored under, none had affected him in the way that Master Orgus had and as such, a special bond had formed between the two during the time in recovery after the duel with Bengel.

"You should take your own advice some time." Orgus chuckled. "I promise not to get captured, maimed, kidnapped or killed." He added, making a small cross over his head with a smile. With a final pat on the back, the older Jedi turned and left the room, following Suthra and Kiwiks.

As Nasra turned back to the room, he spotted Kira looking at him with a worried look on her face but was stopped from asking about it when Galen approached him with a smile, Teeseven trailing behind the man.

"Before I go, I'm putting all my resources at your disposal. There's a special tactical unit in Black Sun territory. They've been fighting them for months. Go to these coordinates. Talk to Sergeant Nidoljo. He can help you find Tarnis and get you those copied data files." Galen ordered, offering Nasra a datapad with all the information already displayed on the screen. Nasra nodded and handed it to the Padawan next to him and smiled at the SIS agent.

"You've been invaluable, Galen. Thank you."

"Hey, it's what I do." Galen smiled in return. His smile soon fell from his face though as he turned to walk out the door. He paused at the entrance to the room as he looked back on the three. "Don't underestimate the Black Sun. They enjoy killing, and they're good at it."

With that, Galen left. Nasra sighed as he walked over to a chair and sat down for a moment, trying to gather all of his thoughts in his head. Kira sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as he placed his face in his hands.

"Are you okay? You've been given a lot of responsibility for a newly minted Knight."

"I'll be fine. Just needed a moment. This all feels like a bad dream." Nasra muttered into his hands.

"Gee, thanks." Kira replied, standing and walking over to Teeseven who was beeping gently as his photoreceptor rotated between the two Jedi.

Nasra sighed and dropped his hands as he looked up at Kira, "You know what I meant."

"Do I? Because so far since we've met you've rescued me three times now by my count. As far as you're no doubt concerned, I'm a lousy Padawan!" Kira suddenly exclaimed, spinning on her heel and glaring at the slowly standing Nasra.

"I don't think that! Besides, I never asked for this!" Nasra threw back, pulling back his hood.

Kira stalked right up to him, poking him in the chest. "Yeah? Well I didn't either." She sighed, the anger seemingly drained out of her. The young woman slumped into a nearby chair, Nasra stood over her.

"You're a good Padawan, Kira. I wasn't lying at the spaceport. You did well. Besides, if I have to keep rescuing you for much longer, people are going to get the wrong idea." Nasra said, his voice carrying the faintest trace of amusement as he knelt before her.

"Nerf herder." Kira mumbled, the events of the day finally seeming to catch up to her.

"I'll teach you what my Masters have taught me until we can get you back to Kiwiks. In return," Nasra began, watching as Kira eyed him suspiciously, "you don't treat me like your Master. I'm your friend first, Master second. Deal?"

"Deal." Kira said after a moment. Slowly, Kira stood with some assistance from the Knight. "I think I might fall asleep." Kira mumbled sleepily. Nasra chuckled and led her in the direction of her bed. At the door, Nasra turned to look at Teeseven for a moment.

"Teeseven, I want you to find any and all information you can on the Black Sun headquarters. I'll want to review it in the morning for a plan of attack. We're no good to Tarnis dead."

Teeseven beeped his reply and plugged into the droid socket at the terminal and began sifting through the holonet, the only illumination in the room coming from the terminal screen and the late night city lights of Coruscant.


	9. Chapter 9

The rubble beneath his feet crunched with such an echo, he winced at the noise it made. All around them, huge columns that had once stood proud and tall lay on the ground in pieces, blaster and lightsaber burns still marring their surface. Besides the two pairs of footsteps, only pained gasps escaped the two Jedi's mouths.

The Jedi Temple was a ruin.

Nasra looked around slowly, eyeing their surroundings for any potential ambushes. There were too many corners, too many hidden locations, too many blood stains on the marble and stone surfaces.

He felt his anger spike at catching the sight of a set of Padawan robes lying on the floor in a large bloodstain. He darted over to it, dropping to a knee as he tentatively reached down and brushed his fingers over the fragile tunic.

"Is that… a Padawan robe?" Kira asked, leaning over his shoulder. He could hear the pain in her voice as clear as the footsteps they'd been taking.

"It is." He muttered, glad he had his hood on his head. He didn't know what he'd do if Kira had to see him in the state he was currently in. He tried to repeat the Code in his head, but for whatever reason it just wasn't working. Why wasn't it working?

His breathing became more laboured the longer he stared at what had once been a Padawan. From the empty robes, it was a good sign that the Padawan had become one with the Force. He lowered his head slightly as a tear threatened to escape. Who would kill children? Why, because they were Jedi? It made no sense to him.

"We need to move, Nasra. Tarnis is somewhere in the Temple and we need to stop him." Kira reminded him, gently pulling the man to his feet.

"This isn't a Temple Kira. Hasn't been in a long time. It's a tomb." Nasra replied, walking past her. His boots making a gentle clack and crunch on the Temple floor as his pace increased. He could feel the darkness in the Temple. It permeated everything around him. So much pain and death had scarred this place for a long time.

He vaguely remembered a group of Masters back on Tython arguing over returning to Coruscant to rebuild the Temple. If only they could see it as he does now. It would be many more years before the Jedi could cleanse this place.

As they continued to walk and listen for any sounds, Kira suddenly stopped and grabbed Nasra by the shoulder, bunching the long dark fabric in her fist. Nasra turned his head slightly to peer back at her.

"Do you hear that?" She asked, frowning. He listened, straining his hearing to pick up any sounds besides debris still falling from place. He was about to give up when he heard something he shouldn't have. Lightsabers striking one another.

He took off in the direction he heard it from. Leaping and ducking up and over debris, he ran along corridors and through halls as the sounds got stronger and louder. He caught a brief flash of light and skidded around a corner into what appeared to be a conference room. He slid to a halt at the sight before him, Kira coming to a stop beside him.

Before him, a Sith and a Jedi were fighting – though to call it a fight would be overstating it. The Sith was dominating the Jedi that looked no older than fourteen lifedays. Another corpse, the boys master lay on the floor nearby. What really bothered Nasra though, were the holograms of four Sith on the holo projector, watching the fight casually.

Just as Nasra unhooked his blade, the Sith backhanded the child and slashed him across the chest. The child crumpled in a heap, lightly twitching. The bastard hadn't even killed the child.

The Sith, oblivious to the two witnesses turned to look at the hologram for a moment. "Sorry about the interruption gentleman. I'm departing Coruscant now, Father. The Planet Prison will activate when I'm out of range. The Republic will have no choice but to surrender."

An elderly Sith man grinned sadistically in the holocall, "You return to me as a hero of the Empire, my son. Our victory is complete."

"I wouldn't count on that." Nasra announced, stepping into the room with his lightsaber activated, Kira just behind him.

"What's this, Tarnis? A loose end? For shame." Another of the Sith taunted, his body covered in cybernetic enhancements.

"You've no idea how much I've wanted this, Jedi." Tarnis growled, turning around to reveal his twisted features and monstrous bloodshot yellow eyes.

"You're going to pay for all you've done, Tarnis." Nasra announced, watching the child out the corner of his eye. The boy was still alive.

"Oh, such brave words. Tell me, how is the good science team that helped me with this weapon?" Tarnis asked, his question punctuated by the snap-hiss of his blade.

"Channel your rage, my son! Don't let this Jedi steal your moment of triumph." The elderly Sith called out.

"Your blood flows through my veins, Father. I cannot fail." Tarnis announced, his body already preparing to lunge.

"So be it." Nasra growled dangerously, pushing out with the Force and throwing Tarnis back. "Kira, protect the boy."

Sprinting forward, Nasra brought his lightsaber down on the recovering Tarnis with all his might causing the Sith to stumble backwards. Jumping into action, Nasra began twisting his body and using muscles he'd developed over years of combat training. He made a feint for Tarnis' head, but in reality went for the man's legs. It seemed the Sith wasn't as skilled with a lightsaber as it appeared.

A Force push caught Nasra by surprise and threw him back into one of the walls. He pushed himself to his feet as he caught Tarnis glaring at him, lightning tracing up and down the length of his arms. Nasra's eyes widened.

He brought his lightsaber up just in time to catch the lightning that the Sith threw at him, wincing as small tendrils of it caught his arms. The pain was excruciating, but Nasra wouldn't give the Sith the satisfaction of him knowing that. He sunk himself into the Force, drawing it into himself as he began to absorb whatever lightning struck him.

Now fully standing, Nasra looked at the surprised Tarnis and yelled a battlecry as he drew back a fist and released the energy within him in a powerful push. The wave hit Tarnis and sent the man flying into another column. Before the man could recover, Nasra was on him, twisting and spinning his lightsaber in a fluid motion that probed the man's defences violently. For a brief moment, the two of them locked sabers, the two of them glaring at one another. Tarnis, in his dark robes customary of a Sith, and Nasra wrapped within his dark brown cloak.

Nasra leant into the lock, pushing the man back with his superior strength and pushed Tarnis' blade up and above him. With Tarnis' saber out of the way, Nasra threw a strong punch that sent the man staggering. To his credit, the Sith recovered quickly, leaping over to the pair of Padawans and attempted to quickly overwhelm them.

Kira was already waiting however, her purple blade arcing up to meet that of the Siths red one. For a moment, Nasra paused, watching in wonder the aggressive fighting style Kira seemed to be employing against Tarnis. Gone was the nervous and snarky Padawan he'd come to recognise in the Justicar sector when they were searching for Tarnis' science team. In her place seemed to be a very adept duellist.

As Kira spun her blade around her body and ducked under a slash at her neck, Nasra ran as fast as he could and began to attack Tarnis from behind. Tarnis, on the defensive now more than ever was beginning to panic. His defences were sloppy, and his attacks were poorly timed. With a quick motion of his hand, Nasra threw him to the other side of the room, away from the Padawans and motioned Kira to stay where she was.

As Nasra calmly walked over to the Sith, who was struggling to pick himself up from the debris covered floor, Tarnis began looking around frantically for an escape. Seeing only the Jedi between him and freedom, the man used the Force to augment his speed and charged the young Knight.

With a single hum of movement from his blade and the sound of it passing through something with a hiss, Nasra brought his blade through the charging Tarnis' throat, decapitating the man. The body continued to travel for a moment or two before it crumpled into a heap by the door, the head still rolling for a heartbeat or two.

Nasra let out a sigh that felt as if he'd been holding it for some time as he looked around the room. Kira was now helping the boy on the floor, but there was still the matter of the holoprojector and the Planet Prison. Lightsaber hilt in hand, he approached the computer station.

As he flicked the switch to de-active the Prison, the elderly Sith spoke up. Even through the holoprojector, Nasra could see the spittle flying from his mouth in his rage, "Jedi filth… you've killed my son!"

"He'll die for this, master. I'll see to it personally." A Sith pureblood announced from behind the elderly one.

"You've no idea what you've unleashed, Jedi. There's no place in the galaxy to hide from my wrath."

At this, Nasra felt Kira join him, standing just a breath away from his back. Nasra reached up and removed the hood that had been covering his head the entire time. With a determined look in his eye, the young Knight looked up at the Sith in the holoprojector.

"Who's hiding? My name is Nasra Shan. I'm a Knight of the Republic. I did what I had to do."

This seemed to only incense the Sith more, "I will inflict unimaginable suffering on your people. Billions will die because of you." He snarled.

"Don't bring others into this Sith. If you want revenge, then seek me out. If you harm non-combatants, you'll pay for each and every one of them." Nasra promised, feeling his fists clench in his sleeves.

"We already control your secret weapon facilities. All that power is ours, now." A weasel of a man announced.

"My son's death will be avenged on the entire Republic – and you will bow before I let you die." The man promised as he trembled in his rage.

"Your grudge is with me alone. Remember what I said about the innocents, Sith." Nasra warned, feeling Kira step closer to him.

"As the die, you will suffer – and I want you to suffer before the end comes. Tell your pathetic Masters that Darth Angral has returned. This time, there will be no mercy." With that promise, the feed of Darth Angral and his lackeys cut from the holoprojector, leaving the room in an eerie quiet.

"Well… this was fun. He was such a charmer… I miss him already." Kira quipped, placing her hands on her hips. She turned to look at Nasra as he looked over at the pair of corpses in the room. "You really get that whole, dramatic Jedi thing working for you." She winked, patting the man on the shoulder.

If Nasra was amused, he didn't show it. In a quiet voice he asked, "How's the Padawan?"

The boy hadn't moved the entire fight, and when Kira had tried to stabilise him afterwards, it had been too late. The blade had ruptured his lungs and the child had died in agony, gasping for air that his body couldn't take in. Kira shook her head sadly. Suddenly, the room felt cold and various pieces of debris began to tremble.

As Kira looked around, expecting it to be a land tremor, she noticed that everything was moving but Nasra. He stood still, his fists shaking. She realised he was the cause of it. The pain he was enduring, the rage he felt – it would only be natural for a Jedi so young not to have the grip on their emotions that Masters did.

The things this Jedi had endured through his life were astounding. One morning when she woke earlier than her new Master, she'd taken some time to do a bit of research, to attempt to better understand the man she was now paired with until Kiwiks deemed it necessary to continue her training herself. She'd spent hours browsing the holonet, searching his name and reading all sorts of articles, though one stood out in particular. A skirmish on Serroco, though much of the details on the engagement were redacted or classified above even her clearance. She stepped up to the man and grasped him by the shoulders, holding him with outstretched arms.

"Nasra." She called out to him. His eyes were closed, his face scrunched up in pain and the start of a tear escaping his right eye. "Nasra!" She tried again, this time shaking the man slightly.

Something snapped, and suddenly his eyes were open, the trembling had ceased and all was calm again – though the pain remained palpable in the Force. When he opened his eyes, he saw Kira standing there, a worried expression on her face.

"Apologies, I was… reliving a few things." He muttered before sniffing and clearing his suddenly dry throat, "We should, uh, arrange for the bodies to be collected." With that, he stepped out of her hold and made his way over to the holoterminal.

* * *

"No one saw this coming, Master Satele – not even the Jedi Council." Suthra said as the two Jedi walked into the conference room set aside for them. Nasra's head shot up at the sound of his mother's title. Could she be here? On Coruscant?

"We sensed it for weeks, General. If you'd told us of your secret project, we might have averted this disaster." The electronically flanged voice of his mother retorted as Nasra came into view of her holoprojection. She didn't look happy at all.

As Nasra approached the two bickering leaders, Var Suthra perked up at his appearance. "There he is – the hero of Coruscant. Welcome back, son."

Nasra smiled slightly at the praise, bowing to the older Mon Calamari and repeating the action to his mother. Kira doing the same at his side, as was proper of a Padawan.

"Coruscant is safe. The Planet Prison has been destroyed and Tarnis is dead. There was no other way, I'm sorry." Nasra announced professionally as he straightened up and looked both in the eyes. "Kira was instrumental to our success. I couldn't have done it without her." He added, sensing the surprise and small amount of pride that Kira felt upon the praise.

"Yes, we've heard. We also know that Tarnis was the son of Darth Angral." Satele sighed, frowning at something on her side of the projection.

"Republic comm channels are being flooded with threats from that maniac vowing revenge – naming you, specifically." Suthra added, his large eyes blinking slowly.

"Has the Empire abandoned the treaty then?" Kira asked, frowning.

"The Empire has formally disavowed any actions that Angral takes, saying he's gone rogue. It's a lie, but the Senate refuses to organise a military response." Var Suthra replied, getting more worked up about the situation as he spoke. It perplexed Nasra as to why they wouldn't organise a response as well.

"For good reason. Neither the Republic nor the Jedi are prepared for another war. We would lose and billions would die." His mother retorted, always providing him with the rational argument.

"And if the enemy turns weapons against us, billions will die. Tarnis transmitted details of all our projects to his father." Suthra argued.

"One of the Sith with Angral on the feed said they already had control of our facilities. Any word from Galen, Kiwiks and Din?" Nasra asked, hoping the worry wasn't evident in his voice. His mother looked down at him in sympathy.

"We traced the call to Ord Mantell. Angral no doubt had a base there. As of thirty minutes ago, a Republic SPEC-OPS squad, codenamed Havoc carried out an operation to gather as much intel from the base as possible." Suthra continued, picking up a datapad from a nearby table. "Intel gathered points to some of our research stations. Galen and both Jedi are still routinely checking in, but there's one that I need you to look into personally, master Jedi."

"Master Orgus senses greatness in you, Nasra. And so do I." Satele smiled, "Complete whatever missions Suthra has need of you for to beat back Angral and then report back to us here on Tython. May the Force be with you." With that, the image of his mother blinked out of existence.

"What is it you have need of myself and my Padawan?"

"I need you to go to Taris and search for a Doctor Godera. He's a genius, but a little unhinged. I'll give you more information when you arrive. Speaking of which, there's a ship I've assigned to you waiting in hangar 5-4-9. Good luck." Suthra announced, dismissing the two Jedi and giving them both a proud salute.

In the darkened throne room on a space station deep in space, a figure sat on an opulently carved throne in meditation. Around him, the room spun upon his whims and desires. Long ago, he had escaped the leash of mortal morality and all that remained was his plan.

* * *

For over a thousand years, he'd lived and for over a thousand years his Empire had thrived unopposed by the galaxy. Systems fell before his armadas and Jedi fell at the hands of his legions of Sith.

Deep in his meditation as he was, the being that was no longer a Sith pureblood but was something else entirely awoke shaken for the first time in his eternal life. He reached out with his senses, placing the threat he felt to his rule. It was a distant threat, not worthy of attention for now. He reached out with the Darkside, pushing aside planets in his quest until he neared the galactic core – Coruscant.

He felt the swell of beings in pain, fear and hatred fuel his power and focus as he narrowed down his search even further. With a grin, he looked upon the face of a young man, no older than twenty lifedays wearing the familiar garb of a Jedi. This one had a destiny - that was for certain. What that destiny would be, he could only guess at, but the power this boy wielded was enough to shock even him for the briefest of moments. In the end though, it mattered not, all would fall to his plans.

As he withdrew from the Force, the Sith Emperor allowed himself the briefest of smirks, "Let the games begin, Jedi."


	10. Chapter 10

The razor buzzed lightly as he felt the small lasers gently remove the hairs from his face. The water in the refresher sink trickled ever so peacefully as he let out a content sigh. It wasn't often that he had a minute to complete the more simple tasks. The entire stint on Coruscant, he'd gone without a shave and as a result his face felt itchy and irritated. Now though, with his stubble gone and his face feeling fresher than before, he truly felt relaxed.

As he cupped his hands below the running water and splashed it on his face, he couldn't help but think about how far he'd come in such a short time. He had defeated a fallen Jedi Knight to become one himself and now he had defeated a Sith in the ruins of the Jedi Temple. Would it always be like this from now on? He hoped not.

A loud banging on the door brought him out of his musings as a familiar female called out to him, "Hey, how long are you going to be in there?"

Supressing a chuckle, Nasra straightened up and wiped his face on a nearby towel before pressing the button to release the lock. With a small whoosh, Nasra was given the sight of a sleepy and impatient Kira. He stood there for a moment, starring. Her red hair was loose and messy, as if she'd been running her fingers through it in her sleep. Her arms and legs up to her mid-thighs were bare, revealing porcelain skin, unmarred by scars. Her sleeping attire was a modest light blue shimersilk nightgown that gently moved with her movements as she walked past him. As he turned around when she passed him, he received a simple two finger salute and a smile as she padded towards the shower.

Smiling back, he turned and went to dress. As he walked the short corridor to his quarters, he gazed at the small Defender-class Corvette. Its hammerhead design was reminiscent of the capital ships employed by the Republic, though on a smaller scale. At either end of the bridge on the exterior, the four turbolasers would blow anything shy of a capital ship to pieces in just a short burst. Though deadly and equipped for combat on the exterior, the interior was a completely different world.

Shiny Durasteel bulkheads reflected the light, allowing the ship to conserve power somewhat. The floors were clear and clean and while the ship was small to be classed as a Corvette, it could comfortably hold a number of passengers. Though with only Kira, T7 and himself, the ship felt remarkably empty at this point. The ship itself could hold eight passengers. While the main quarters, such as his and Kira's were on the upper level near the cockpit, the others were on the lower level. The ship was even equipped with a large room that would be adequate for Jedi training with a holoprojector in the middle. All in all, he was very happy with the ship he had been assigned.

As he entered his room, he turned down the lights with a wave of his hand as he removed his tunic. Until they were on solid ground, there would be no reason for wearing his usual armour. With a small sigh, he reached into the wardrobe and removed a plain dark brown tunic. Once he had shrugged it on, he turned to see Kira standing there expectantly.

"So, ground rules? Master Kiwiks let me do whatever as long as I wasn't in her way." Kira asked, leaning against the doorframe lazily. It appeared she'd gotten dressed in the fresher as she was once more in her usual attire of dark cloth, her double bladed lightsaber hung lazily upon her belt.

"Do what I do, and you should be fine." Nasra chuckled as he made to step past her towards the helm of the ship, his boots clacking on the metal flooring.

"So, we're making it up as we go? Nifty. Question two, what's my job on the ship? Hate standing around. Makes me antsy."

As Nasra sat down at the controls of the ship, he looked over his shoulder at his new Padawan that had perched herself on the console to his right, lazily swinging her legs back and forth.

"It's a big ship, so that means there's plenty of work. Do something you enjoy. I have a feeling we'll be in this a lot." He chuckled, flicking a switch on his right that would bring up the current status of their trip to Taris.

"Reprogram the computer to call me 'Master'? Done." Kira snickered. "So, what will my experienced and wizened Master tell me about himself?" She asked, poking him in the shoulder.

"Wizened?" Nasra asked, raising his eyebrows and leaning back in his chair, his arms folded.

"Oh sure. You frown too much. It'll put years on you." Kira snickered, hopping off the console and dropping into the chair next to Nasra's.

"I don't frown much!" He popped, feeling his brow furrow against his better judgement.

"See? You're doing it now!" Kira pointed, smirking, "You really have the dark and mysterious look going for you, huh?"

Nasra grumbled, "I'm not dark and mysterious."

"Not to all the Padawans that were on Tython. To us, you were some big-shot Padawan that had been given the opportunity to study under all sorts of Masters. Do you know how rare that is?" Kira asked, her voice lacking any and all humour now. Nasra raised an eyebrow curiously.

"No. I was just given my orders and went where I was told."

"The last Jedi I can think of that was given that kind of treatment were Exar Kun and Revan. You know, we were never told your last name either, come to think of it."

"Is that so?" Nasra asked, biting his cheek absently. It was a terrible habit he had from his Youngling years.

"Yeah. I suppose they didn't want us to think you were getting special treatment for being Master Shan's son." Kira shrugged, "Doesn't really matter now though, since you saved Tython and all."

"Is my lineage going to be an issue?" Nasra asked after a moment's silence in which the only sounds were those of the consoles and T7 whistling to himself on the lower level.

"Not to me, no." Kira smiled, tucking her feet under her as she rested her head on her arm on the back of the chair.

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because I want to know about you. You're supposed to be my new Master until Kiwiks determines otherwise. I don't think you quite get just how much the Padawans on Tython talked about the 'great Padawan Nasra'. To us… you were just a story."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes for a moment. "That's fair then, I suppose. What do you want to know?"

"How old are you?"

"Twenty lifedays."

"That young and already have a Padawan? They sure are expecting a lot from you, huh?" Kira smirked, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Who was your father?" She suddenly blurted out before going bright red. It seemed it had been a question that she had been wanting to ask for a while. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no it's fine." Nasra chuckled, "What's your theory?"

"Well, I always figured it had to be another Jedi, right? I mean, it's Master Shan for Kriff sake! Not to mention how powerful you are. It makes sense, right?"

Nasra chuckled a little, "My father isn't a Jedi. He's a Republic Trooper. His name is Jace Malcom."

" _The_ Jace Malcom?" Kira gasped, her shock evident across her face.

"Do you know another one?" He smirked in reply, earning a slug in the arm from his Padawan.

"So… do you have any contact with him?" She asked, an odd tone to her voice.

"Not as much as I'd like, but I get the occasional message. Though from what I hear, it's more than Theron gets."

"Theron?"

"I have a younger brother, Theron." Nasra smiled, reminded of times when Theron and he would play Jedi and Sith with sticks, or racing around their mothers quarters playing Troopers. He hadn't seen Theron in years. What would he look like now? Would Theron even recognise him? Would he be resentful?

"What's he like? Is he a Padawan too?" Kira asked, smiling.

"He's not a Padawan, no. He… He didn't get much in the way of the Force. Theron has just enough training to shield his mind from anyone. As far as I'm aware, he's trying to join the Forces and hoping to get picked up by the SIS. As for what he's like… well, that's a tough one to answer."

"You don't have to tell me…"

"Nono, it's nothing like that. I just haven't seen him in, well, in years really. I don't even know if he'd know who I was if we met face to face." Nasra sighed, looking down at his feet for a moment. "What else do you want to know?" He asked, trying to veer the conversation away from his family.

"How many Masters did you have?"

"Seven, if you include my mother." Nasra smiled.

"Your mother taught you?" Kira asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"When I was young. Just the basics in meditation and telekinesis. It was before my training began."

"Oh. So who was the Master that you enjoyed being taught by the most?"

"Besides my mother?" Nasra asked. Kira nodded, "I'd have to say Master Din. Unlike my other Masters, he never focused on my lineage. It was… refreshing."

Kira made a noise in the back of her throat and rolled her eyes, "I'll bet." It appeared she was about to ask another question when the console began to chime, indicating their arrival in-system.

"Get your things ready. We're about to arrive at Taris."

* * *

"General, we've arrived at Taris. After you told us about Ord Mantell, you seemed worried about this place. What's the big mystery?" Nasra asked to the holo once a connection had been made. The ship had docked with the spaceport on the surface of Taris just moments ago. To his side stood Kira with T7 just behind her.

" _I apologise for all the secrecy, but this involves someone the Empire would love to get their hands on. Angral's son, Tarnis, was the lead scientist on our advanced warfare projects. But these technologies were all invented by Doctor Nasan Godera. Doctor Godera's a genius. Calculates targeting algorithms in his head for fun."_

"Since we're on Taris, I assume he is as well?" Nasra asked.

" _Correct, but the situation is… complicated. Doctor Godera hates the Empire. So much so, he quit in protest of the Treaty of Coruscant. Disappeared completely. We recently discovered he's hiding on Taris – but the swamps, predators and city ruins are keeping us from finding him."_ Suthra sighed, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head in frustration.

"I've heard of Taris' history. How could he survive in such a place?"

" _He's a resourceful man – and he isn't alone. He brought advanced droids with him. The Republic is recolonising Taris. Recently, we've found evidence that our missing doctor has been here for years. Reconnaissance recently discovered one of Godera's outposts in the swamp. It's entirely automated. Nothing but droids in inside, and they're no co-operating."_

Nasra raised an eyebrow in thought and placed a hand on his chin, "How do you know this outpost belongs to Godera and not someone else?"

Suthra snorted and replied, _"The droids kept demanding Godera's passwords from us. They work for him. I've had people scouring Taris for other outposts. The survivors returned empty-handed. After what we've learned from Ord Mantell, we need that man's expertise. You're both our best shot at finding Doctor Godera."_

"We'll bring him back alive, don't worry General."

" _I left a small team monitoring the outpost. They'll aid your search. Transmitting outpost co-ordinates. Good luck – Var Suthra out."_

"Well… this'll be fun." Kira grinned, patting the diminutive droid on its dome gently. T7 whistled encouragingly, causing Nasra to smile slightly.

"I have to speak to the dock-master and then attend a safety briefing on the wild-life. While I'm doing that, Kira I want you to look around the spaceport for me. Try and find any information about the planet that you can. Anything that'll make our job easier. It might be worth asking the more seedy customers in the local cantina."

"You got it boss."

"T7, I want you to guard the ship. Make sure nobody steals our landing thrusters. I'll return shortly." Nasra announced, pulling up the hood of his cloak. He'd put his armour on shortly before landing, though for now his cloak hid it well.

* * *

The room was quiet as everyone listened to the security trooper go through his presentation. The lack of wall lights meant that all focus was drawn to the holoprojector in the middle of the room. Sitting at the back of the room, Nasra smiled at seeing the reactions to some of the predators the planet had to offer and the injuries they could inflict.

"You're not on Coruscant anymore boys and girls, you're on Taris. This planet has so many predators, even the Cathar would squirm." The gruff looking trooper announced – a colonel by the rank on his arm. He appeared to be made up entirely of muscle and had the Republic Trooper badge tattooed on his neck.

The holoprojector switched to an image of a creature on all four legs. Its skin a sickly pale colour with spines growing out its skin at all angles and an ooze seeping from its fangs and pores. Its face seemed to be stuck in a sick grin.

"This, ladies is a Rakghoul. They are the most dangerous predator on this planet. A single slash from its claws will not only kill you, but infect your with the Rakghoul plague. Yes, that's right. A single cut from one of these will have you chomping down on your friends in a matter of hours. You will cease to be whatever your species was and instead be turned into one of them. There is no current cure besides a blaster bolt between the eyes. If you see one these coming at you, it's already too late."

"Can they get into the settlement?" A worried Cathar woman asked, her hand raised.

"They have tried before. There are always the occasional Rakghouls that attempt to take our troops by surprise, but don't worry. As long as you all stay within the limits of the settlement, you shall be protected. Those of you who wish to leave the settlement, it will be our jobs to protect you where we can, but know this. We will fail. We cannot protect everyone at all times." The room was quiet for a moment as the grizzled middle-aged man cast his gaze upon everyone in the room. "That concludes the safety briefing."

Nasra waited for everyone to leave before he himself stood and left, casting one last glance back at the image of the predator. With a sigh, he turned to return to his ship. The docking bay wasn't far, though he had to meander through all sorts of species and any number of droids going about their business.

A few minutes later, once the elevator to the docking bay had stopped, he frowned. The air felt cold and there was a distinct lack of people or droids compared to when he had left. He unhooked his lightsaber from his belt just in case.

Carefully, he walked through the waiting area and into the bay itself, frowning at the three darkly robed figures stood by the nose of the ship with a woman in the middle of them, a red lightsaber at her throat.

Kira.

Nasra approached slowly, casting his eyes around the bay for any other Sith in hiding. He came to a stop before them.

"So, your Master was here all along. Well-played Padawan. Your lies convinced even Darth Angral."

The snap hiss of Nasra's cyan blade humming to life comforted the briefly panicked Nasra.

"I'll say this once. Put down that lightsaber and step away from my Padawan."

"Spare me your pathetic demands. I hold the power here, not you." The Sith spat, inching his blade ever so slightly closer to Kira's throat. "Imperial Intelligence noticed this girl wandering the settlement and alerted my Master. Angral would have come in person, but the girl wasn't worth it. Didn't stop us from contacting him and having a small interrogation session with her though. Unfortunately, we were led to believe you weren't here."

"Told them you were on Corellia. Suckers." Kira snickered.

"No matter. We have you now. Surrender – unless you want your Padawan to die."

"He's lying. He can't kill me. Angral's orders." Kira smirked, winking at the enraged Sith.

"Release my Padawan. It's your only way out of this, Sith." Nasra growled.

"I'll never understand what drives you Jedi to throw away your lives. You risk certain death to free this girl. Why? Some misguided sense of duty?"

"What can I say, it's part of my charm."

"I'm sure. Let's get this over with then." The Sith sighed, moving his lightsaber from Kira's neck.

At that moment, Kira ducked below the blade and lashed out with her right foot at the man's chest. The kicked forced him back a few metres. Nasra rushed to Kira, using his blade to free her restrained wrists. A simple wave of her hand later and her lightsaber activated in her hand.

Not a moment later, the first Sith was on them, though he was quickly cut down by Nasra. The second focussed on Kira while the one Kira had kicked launched himself at Nasra. They fought back to back, occasionally switching combatants. Nasra quickly overwhelmed Kira's opponent by impaling the Rattataki through the chest, whereas Kira took a little longer to finish off the Sith that had held her. A simple feint allowed her to knock his lightsaber wide with one end of her blade, while decapitating him with the other.

A moment later, a small squad of security personnel emerged into the hangar with their weapons drawn. Upon seeing the bodies, two rushed forwards and saluted the two young Jedi.

"Master Jedi, sir! Tech went down in the hangar and we were sent to investigate. We apologise for arriving late." The young woman with a rank of Corporal apologised.

With a wave of his hand, Nasra smiled, "No apologies necessary Corporal. You couldn't have known. However, I would recommend you increase security in the future."

With a nod, the Troopers jogged off back to their squad as they called in the discovery of three Sith in the hangar.

Nasra turned to look at Kira after a moment, "Are you okay?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I've never been happier to see anyone my whole life." Kira grinned, re-attaching her blade to her hip.

"The feeling's mutual." Nasra chuckled, copying her action.

"That's, uh, good to know. Anyway, we have a problem. Angral wanted to know everything about you. Threatened to kill me if I didn't answer his questions."

"I'm sorry if he hurt you." Nasra sighed, placing his hands on her arms gently.

"Don't apologise. I knew what I was signing up for when we left Coruscant. Angral was with an Imperial Admiral on some new battlecruiser. Sounds like they have some new weapon. We should warn the General about this right away."

Nasra nodded and watched as Kira walked up the ramp into the ship.

* * *

 **Authors note:**

 **Okay, so this is my first Authors note to the viewers reading this story.**

 **I'd first like to thank anyone who's taken the time to read this little project of mine and let you all know just how thankful I am for it. Seeing the favourites, follows and reviews increase with each chapter is what's giving me the drive to complete this huge story. I plan to keep this going through _all_ the expansions in SWTOR.**

 **I've made a number of changes to the story of the Knight and what happens when and all that sort of thing. For now, I just want to assure everyone that everything in this story (minus Satele having two sons) fits in with the cannon of Star Wars. Though my biggest fear will always be portraying the characters correctly - let me know if I'm doing it right or not!**

 **I currently have no Beta for my chapters. My process for writing, checking and uploading a chapter generally spans about a day - two at most. I'll sit down, write a chapter, check it for errors with spell and grammar checker and then upload it when I'm happy with it. Saying that, if anyone is at all interested in reading the chapters before I upload them to check them for me and allowing me to bounce ideas off of them, feel free to message me! Also, the job will include forcing me to write!**

 **Okay, well thanks again for reading this far and keep the reviews coming in!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Invieri**


	11. Chapter 11

"Am I the only one of us with a bad feeling about this?" Kira asked as the two Jedi dismounted their respective speeders. Both had ridden for hours, weaving throughout the expansive duracrete jungle that now acted as a reminder to the galaxy of the cruelties of the Sith Order.

Over three hundred years ago, a Sith Lord named Darth Malak bombarded the planet from orbit in the hopes of killing a single Jedi, Bastila Shan. Though the attempt on her life was futile, as she had escaped the planet with a number of allies as the bombing began, the charred corpses of the once proud spires of the city-planet remained broken and twisted while nature took its place back as the ruler of the planet. Taris had gone from the once proud jewel of the Outer-Rim to the most dangerous jungle-planet within twelve parsecs.

"A battle was fought here…" Nasra frowned, ducking low into the rubble that hid the doctors' compound. If they hadn't been given the co-ordinates of the entrance, they might never have found it.

"How can you tell that? There's no blaster burns." Kira inquired, following her instructor into the darkened entrance. Once inside, the two had to stop a moment to allow their eyes to adjust to their new environment. The darkened corridor ahead of them only illuminated by the occasional blinking fluorescent white light.

"I've been in places like this before. Assassins were here… highly trained assassins."

"Oh? When, if you don't mind me asking."

"Serroco." Nasra replied, beginning his walk into the corridor, his dark cloak sweeping the floor behind him. The gentle footfalls of the two of them echoing as if an army were behind them.

The two continued walking for a time, checking rooms they walked past and not once did they find another being other than themselves. The dull tone of the bases power generator being offline was their only source of comfort. For a while, the pair of young Jedi held out hope, though as Nasra came to a sudden halt, forcing Kira to stumble into the back of him.

"Can you feel that?" He asked, turning his head over his shoulder to look her in the eye. From where Kira stood, her view of his dark eyes was shadowed out by the poor lighting and the hood of his cloak that remained up. Kira found herself pulling her own cloak around her slightly more.

"It's cold?" She asked, resisting the urge to chatter her teeth. She let out a slight breath and watched as it fogged before her. Where had the sudden drop in temperature come from?

"Exactly. We're not alone in here." The sudden snap-hiss of Nasra's cyan blade echoed in the corridor, gently illuminating their surroundings as the two continued slower than before, carefully checking their corners and their flanks. While Nasra's cyan blade led the way, it was Kira's own violet double bladed saber that guarded their retreat.

"Why did it get so cold so quickly?" She asked, her eyes scanning a pair of shadows in a far corner warily.

"The Darkside can do a number of things, even manifesting itself physically." As Nasra finished speaking, the corridor opened up into a large balcony that encircled the lower level. The room was dark, only the emergency lights illuminating the level below and the occasional blinking console.

Nasra stepped up to the balcony slowly, his blade at his side and pointed at the floor. He let out a disappointed sigh as he found the soldiers that were to assist them.

"They're all dead. Executed." He frowned, turning to his left and walking down a nearby ramp to the bottom floor.

In the middle of the room, a dozen corpses of various species in Republic Trooper armour lay strewn across each other in a pile. As Nasra deactivated his blade and knelt down to the side of the pile, he checked a number of corpses. "They were killed with Sith war blades. Throats cut."

"War blades? You mean like Vibroswords?" Kira asked, coming to a stop besides him.

"Sort of. They don't have the vibration cells in them though. They can stand up to lightsabers well enough, from what I've heard." Nasra sighed, placing the head of a Rodian trooper down. "I don't see the doctor here though. Did you see him upstairs?"

When Kira shook her head, Nasra looked around slowly. With his free hand, he reached down for his holo-communicator. With it in his palm, he clicked it to begin making a call back to the Republic base that they left, only for it to chime a negative – his fear was building up. They'd walked into a trap.

"Kira, lightsaber up!" He called suddenly – both their blades springing to life.

" _Oh come now, no need for any of that."_ A disembodied voice announced. It had an electronic flange to its Imperial accent. So somebody was talking to them remotely.

"Show yourself, Imperial." Kira growled, keeping her back to Nasra.

" _Very well. Men!"_

Suddenly a cadre of seven Imperial Assassins de-cloaked from their stealth field generators, weapons aimed at the two Jedi. On each of their belts, Nasra spotted the war blades that had been used to kill the troopers.

The first to attack were the assassins, causing the two Jedi to leap to the upper level as one. While the blaster bolts passed harmlessly below their feet, the assassins had surrounded the Jedi in such a way that any stray shots wouldn't injure their comrades. As the two Jedi landed with all the grace their training demanded of them, the assassins were already upon them using supressing fire to force the Jedi on the defensive as their allies ran up the ramp with their blades at the ready.

The first to arrive swung at Nasra, hoping to slash him across the chest shoulder to naval. The cyan blade stopped the man min-swing, the two blades scraping together as sparks flew to the floor. With a push, Nasra knocked the blade of his opponent high while his legs swept the Imperial off of his feet.

Kira was on the downed Imperial immediately, decapitating the assassin with a flick of one of her blades while she used the other to send a blaster bolt at another assassin, catching him in the chest. The third to fall was a woman with a cybernetic arm who fell upon Kira with a furious yell. The woman lunged with her blade but over extended herself, allowing the Padawan the opportunity to spin to the side and cut the woman in two at the hip.

Nasra leapt at the two final opponents, having used the Force to throw the others into the walls with enough force to turn their insides into a soup. These two were smarter and had both blasters and daggers in hand. With Kira landing at his side, he lunged forward at the one closest to him, ducking under blaster bolt and striking the Duros in his face. The Duro stumbled backwards before attempting to press the advantage – shooting his blaster as well as striking with his dagger. Nasra ducked left, narrowly avoiding the first two bolts, but grunted when the dagger grazed his face.

With a groan, a console ripped away from a nearby wall and went flying into the Duro from behind, crushing him in an instant. Nasra turned to look at Kira, who it appeared had thrown the console. It seemed she had let her guard down for a moment and exposed her back to her attacker. Without a moment to lose, Nasra threw his blade in her direction and impaled the would-be-assassin in the chest.

Once the final assailant had dropped and Nasra had pulled his blade into his hand with the Force, a communications projector sprang to life on a nearby wall, projecting the life-sized image of a well-groomed man in his thirties. The man's clothing was impeccable – not a crease to be seen and a well-trimmed moustache covered his top lip. His face was completely blank.

" _That's enough bloodshed, Jedi. Let us be professional."_

"You're the voice from before. What's your name, Imperial?" Kira demanded, coming to stand next to Nasra before the projection.

" _I'm Watcher One of Imperial Intelligence. Those men you fought served me."_

"How did you know about Godera so quickly? Where is he?" Nasra asked, pacing back and forth before the projection. It seemed Watcher One was particularly interested in Nasra as his gaze hadn't even looked in Kira's direction yet. Did he not consider her a threat?

" _Despite what General Var Suthra believes, I've known about this outpost for some time. Your imminent arrival forced me to take action. I truly am sorry about the troopers that were to meet you, but I needed to lure you in."_ The Watcher smiled slightly, his eyes still tracking the Knight, _"My mission is to protect the Empire from Doctor Godera's weapons. I'm afraid I can't let you have him."_

"You won't stop us, Watcher." Kira announced.

For the first time since the communication began, Watcher One's eyes fell upon the Padawan – Kira took a step back, _"Imperial Intelligence prides itself on accurate threat assessment. I've known you were coming; analysed your strengths and weaknesses in preparation."_ The Intelligence agent looked at Nasra, _"You defeated the fallen Jedi, Bengel Morr, to become a Knight. You are an exemplar of your Order, though I'm sure many would be surprised to know the full details of Serroco… Knight Shan."_

"What's he talking about?" Kira asked, frowning at looking sharply at her teacher. It seemed every muscle in Nasra's body was suddenly taut. The young Jedi was shaking and his eyes narrowed at the Watcher.

" _And you, Padawan Carsen."_ The Watcher added, looking at the Padawan once more, _"You are an interesting one, aren't you? How do you think your father would react to your new loyalties?"_

"That's enough, Imperial." Kira growled, feeling the urge to ignite her blade.

"How do you know all of this?" Nasra asked, his voice quiet and soft. It was a stark contrast to the raging emotions flowing through him.

" _The point is, Jedi, that I have it. As fortune would have it, Doctor Godera shall be in my custody shortly. You've already failed."_

"I'll be seeing you shortly, Watcher." Nasra promised, beginning to turn around.

" _Ah, I see my reinforcements are finally in position."_ As soon as the Watcher said those words, more assassins de-cloaked around the two Jedi. Two lightsabers snapped to life instantly.

" _Terminate him."_ Watcher One ordered, before the console chimed an end to the conversation.

As the group was about to fire, blaster bolts struck three in their backs, leaving only two more for the two Jedi to deal with. With quick strikes from their sabers, the remaining Imperials quickly fell.

As the two de-activated their lightsabers, a powerful looking droid emerged from the shadows, a pair of blasters retracting into compartments on its arms. It looked at the two Jedi with its three golden eyes that stuck out slightly from its humanoid head. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a protocol droid designed to decimate an army.

"Blasted Imps. Death is too good for them. Thank you for liberating this facility. Good riddance to Imp scum."

"Well… I've not seen anything like you before." Nasra said, quirking an eyebrow at the vocabulary of the droid before him.

"My designation is RE-M0. Doctor Godera assigned me to this facility. Primary function: enemy surveillance. The facility was compromised when Republic cowards arrived on Taris and again by these Imp scum."

"Your maker is in danger. Can you tell us where he is?" Kira asked, placing a hand on Nasra's shoulder when the droid referred to the soldiers.

"My programming forbids co-operation with non-Godera life-forms, except in extreme circumstances. That criteria is now met. Doctor Godera is at a facility at these co-ordinates. I shall follow you shortly, once I have removed any trace of my master's work."

"Thank you, RE-M0. We'll get your maker back for you." Kira promised as the two young Jedi took off at a sprint as their datapads chimed with a new set of co-ordinates.

* * *

Hours went by as the two sped through the forests of Taris, ducking and weaving through debris strewn here and there by the orbital bombardment of centuries past. It wasn't until dusk when the two speeders slowed down upon the approach to a ruin with a tunnel blasted into it.

Coming to a sliding halt, the twin engines of the speeders protested as mud and foliage was sent into the air. Now wasn't the time for stealth… the life of the doctor could very well be decided within the next few minutes – they only prayed that they arrived in time.

Jumping off the speeders, both Jedi palmed the hilts of their lightsabers; their cloaks flapping at their feet with each pump of their legs. Nasra's powerful strides gained him the lead as he ducked into the tunnel at a half sprint, Kira close on his heels.

The pair continued on down the tunnel until a section of rock slid to the side ahead of them, revealing a violet skinned Rodian carrying an older and unconscious human. The two Jedi slowed warily until the Rodian spotted them and gave a shrill squeal, dropping the human roughly and holding his hands up in the air.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" The Rodian begged, dropping to his knees, having mistaken the two Jedi for someone else it seemed.

"We're not here to harm you. Who are you? What's happening?" Nasra asked, stepping towards the Rodian and helping him to his feet.

"Please, you must help. Imperials shot my friend. They want Doctor Godera. They're everywhere!"

"We're here to help the doctor. Where can we find him?" Kira asked, standing up after checking on the older male for a pulse. Satisfied, she nodded at Nasra when he glanced in her direction.

"Last I saw he barricaded himself in the main lab, you have to help him!"

"Alright, keep out of sight and protect your friend. We'll come back for you once we've made sure it's safe." Nasra commanded, placing a reassuring hand on the diminutive aliens shoulder. The poor thing was quaking with fear.

The two Jedi sprinted through where the alien had emerged from, their lightsaber snapping to life at their sides. The corridor they were running down was created by an excavation of a collapsed building it seemed, with metal decking creating an even footpath deeper into the facility.

As they ran, Nasra had to admit that the ways Godera had hidden himself were genius. He'd taken up residence on Taris well before the reclamation efforts began in earnest and had found good defensible positions. The only issue that Nasra had with them was that they were not defensible enough.

The two barrelled into a larger room, Imperials backs to them. The two wasted no time, swiping low with their blades, slicing across tendons, muscle and bone. Their cries of pain were drowned out when their comrades turned to face the new threat, blood red blaster bolts lighting up the darkened room. The pair of lightsabers flashed and angled the shots either harmlessly to the side or back to those that shot them in the first place. With a motion of her hand, Kira pulled a pair of Imperial Troopers towards them, slicing her blade across their bodies as they flew past.

Eventually, the sounds of blaster fire died down and the two found themselves on a balcony much like the compound they'd been to prior. Down in the centre, a trio of figures stood looking up at the two Jedi. With a small leap, the two landed gently with their lightsabers drawn and pointed at what appeared to by Watcher One and a pair of guards. The corpse on the floor looked familiar, but it was hard to tell in the low light.

"Stand down, Jedi. I'm afraid we both lost this contest."

"I told you I'd see you soon." Nasra growled, holding the tip of his lightsaber at the agents' throat.

"Indeed you did. I'm afraid that Godera preferred suicide over coming with us peacefully. He took his own life before we could stop him."

"Lies." Kira spat, kneeling down by the body, checking for a pulse – somewhere, anywhere. She shook her head slowly.

Nasra frowned, inching his blade just ever so closer. "You backed him into a corner. What did you expect to happen?"

Watcher One held up his hands in surrender, "We assured him he wouldn't be harmed, but his hatred of the Empire was beyond reason. We are prepared to leave Taris without further violence. Full cessation of hostilities. Do you accept?"

Nasra hesitated for a moment, eyeing the two guards accompanying the Watcher. Something didn't feel right.

"Why?" He asked.

"Our mission was Godera. That ended when he did. There is no point in useless bloodshed. We needn't die over this."

"I should take you in for what you've done."

"You know I can't allow that, Knight Shan. Be reasonable." The Watcher warned. "Unlike the men at the outpost, we're trained to fight Jedi."

Suddenly, a blaster bolt caught one of the Imperials in the chest, causing the man to groan lightly as he sunk to the floor against the console the impact had sprawled him against. The other was levelling his weapon at something unseen behind the Jedi when another caught him in the belly. The second keeled over without as much as a sound.

"Jedi! Wait! These filthy Imps are lying to you! Godera's bio signal is on the move!" The flanged voice of RE-M0 called.

"What? We scrapped you!" The Watcher growled, dropping a camouflage a Trooper was using. Nasra had to admit, Imperial Intelligence had some pretty impressive technologies.

Before Nasra or Kira could do anything, the Trooper aimed at the droid with a pistol and let off a trio of shots, catching the servo-motor of the loyal droid. RE-M0 fell to the floor sparking and smoking. Nasra made a single movement of his wrist and decapitated the man where he stood.

"Critical damage… circuits failing." RE-M0 groaned, his digital voice straining to get the power behind it. "Transmitting Godera's location to you now. Do not let those Imps keep him."

"Kira, grab his main processor and memory unit. If we can find a way to repair him, we will." Nasra commanded as he walked over to the holo-projector that had begun to beep.

As the monitor came to life, the projection of the Rodian that they'd instructed to hide came to life. Nasra felt his eyebrow quirk – something wasn't right about this. _"Hello again. Your ability to survive is impressive, to say the least."_ The Rodian said, all traces of his earlier fear gone. After a moment of silence, the Rodian raised an arm and clicked something in his hand – revealing the image of Watcher One. _"Not my best performance, but serviceable."_

"I have to commend you, I didn't even feel any deception through the Force." Nasra replied, folding his arms across his chest and letting out a sigh – they'd lost this one.

" _Thank you. I strive for excellence."_ The Watcher bowed slightly with a small smile. _"Do not fear though, Doctor Godera is unharmed. I painlessly rendered him unconscious and carried him to safety."_

"You know that trick will only work once, right? We'll know next time." Kira said, meeting Nasra at his side – the delicate computer parts safely in one of the pouches on her belt.

" _There doesn't need to be a next time, Miss Carsen. We could continue this chase forever – but that would be a waste of resources. I suggest a compromise."_

"N-" Kira began before Nasra spoke over her, startling her with his answer.

"Go on."

" _Give me time to administer truth serum to Doctor Godera. Once he reveals his secrets, he's yours. We'll both have what we want."_ The cultured Imperial offered, placing his hands behind his back.

"He'll just deceive us again! Nasra, you can't be serious!" Kira popped, standing between the two. Her eyebrows furrowed in shock and anger.

" _My deceptions have failed to produce the desired result. Now, I'm telling the truth. I will purchase time for interrogating Doctor Godera by offering you something of great significance. A Sith assassin is on Taris preparing to massacre a small Republic settlement. I can tell you where."_

Kira spun at that, striding right up to the hologram, "Where?" She demanded, her voice laced with something other than the anger that had been there just a moment prior.

"Why are you doing this?" Nasra asked before the Imperial could answer. Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't place what it was.

" _The information Doctor Godera possesses is worth more than terrorizing defenceless colonists. I know neither of you will risk innocent lives. It's not in your nature."_

Kira spun around, her eyes pleading with his own, "We have to help those colonists!"

When Nasra nodded, the Imperial smiled at them. _"Rescue your settlement. When that's done, come here and you'll receive Doctor Godera unharmed. You have my word."_

"If you betray the trust I'm placing in you…" Nasra warned, his finger pointed at the holoprojector.

" _I assure you, it isn't misplaced. The Republic colonists have a temporary shelter near some ruins. Sending the coordinates now…"_


End file.
